Siriusly Deluded
by fiery-skies
Summary: We all know that Lily had a lot to do with James' change in behavior, so what about Sirius? SBOC, Marauder era. Mainly fluff, with some subtle humor. Better than it sounds. You won't be sorry if you read it! At least I hope so.
1. Projections

Siriusly Deluded

Hey everyone! This is my first fanfic (actually, it's kind of my first story too, I'm usually more of a technical writer), so I would appreciate any and all reviews. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 1: Projections  
  
Sirius Black sighed as he dragged himself to Muggle Studies. It was only the third week of class and he was getting tired of it already. Why had he signed up for this class, again? Oh, yeah, he remembered now. He knew exactly how much it would piss off his muggle-hating family. Even though none of the other Marauders were taking it, just the thought of his mother's angry face might make the class bearable for the rest of the term.  
  
He took his usual seat in the back of the room as the crazy old Professor Waters practically skipped down the aisle to the front of the room. 'Uh, oh,' Sirius thought to himself. 'This cannot be a good sign.'  
  
Professor Waters happily greeted the class, and proceeded into a long speech about how we must understand what muggles have to do so we could appreciate our magical abilities, blah, blah, blah. Sirius rolled his eyes. He had heard this speech so many times; he probably could have gone up to the front of the class and recited it himself.  
  
Suddenly he noticed that a pretty blonde Hufflepuff, Sara Barnes, had turned around in her seat and was staring right at him, smiling seductively. Sirius gave her a wink and a sly smirk, acknowledging her attention.  
  
This little exchange was not lost on Lauren Walker, a petite seventh year Ravenclaw with shoulder-length brown hair and deep brown eyes. She rolled her eyes. 'What a dog,' she thought to herself. 'I guess it must physically hurt him to actually pay attention in class...'  
  
"...And you will all complete a task that will help you to understand the privileges you have. Then you will write an essay about what you have learned and what responsibilities you have because of your advantage," Lauren heard the professor drone on. 'Wait a minute! He's not droning anymore! This isn't part of his usual speech!' she quickly realized, and decided to pay attention.  
  
"You will be randomly assigned partners by drawing a number out of this hat. As there is an even number of students in this class, there will be no groups of three and there will be no switching partners. There is two of each number and the number corresponds to a specific task that I will give you once you have been partnered. Miss Walker, why don't you begin?"  
  
Lauren was startled, still shocked at the way this class was going, but she gingerly reached into the hat and pulled out a slip of paper. "7," it read. 'Well, at least it's my favorite number,' she thought, 'that has to be a good sign.'  
  
However, she waited and waited as thirteen of the other fifteen members of the class drew their numbers and moved next to their partners. Only Sirius Black and his flavor of the week remained. She watched warily as the blonde Hufflepuff reached into the hat and pulled out a number. She was very relieved when the girl didn't move towards her table.  
  
So relieved, in fact, that she didn't notice that someone else had (unnecessarily) drawn from the hat, someone who had black hair that always fell into his crystal blue eyes and someone with the most gorgeous face at Hogwarts—none other than Sirius Black.  
  
Suddenly, 7 was no longer Lauren's favorite number. This was not good. The last person—well, the second to the last person—she wanted to be partnered with was standing right next to her, looking down at her amusedly.  
  
"Hey, Walker" he said softly, taking her by surprise. Geez, she had forgotten how it felt when Sirius Black looked at her. He gave her such unwavering attention that she felt like she was the only one in the world. It was a good feeling, to say the very least. Memories of her childhood flooded back to her as she properly heard the sound of his voice for the first time in the better part of ironically, seven years.  
  
Yes, she and Sirius Black had been childhood friends. The children of two of the most respected pure-blooded wizarding families in Britain had been pushed together into a forced friendship very early in their lives. In fact, had in been about 200 years earlier, she and Sirius would have probably been betrothed to one another before they could even pronounce the word.  
  
One could say that they had grown up together, but to her it seemed that she had grown up, while he had remained as childish as the first time they met. He knew how to get what he wanted, even back then, and he obviously was using that special ability of his to acquire new "prospects."  
  
She remembered primary school (of course they were in the same class every year at the most prestigious school in the country) when he used to sit next to her. She remembered how much he had made her laugh, but also remembered how much he had laughed whenever he got a better grade than she did. It had always made her so mad. She worked hard and studied to get her good grades. Sirius would glance over her notes before the tests. And most of the time, she would only barely beat him.  
  
Then she remembered those stupid balls they had both been forced to attend by their parents, apparently to learn the etiquette and dances a properly raised (a.k.a. spoiled) child from a wizarding family should know.  
  
Like most girls, she loved getting dressed up in pretty gowns and feeling like a princess. However, she had known how much he hated it, and she liked seeing the overly confident boy unhappy. And she felt that somehow he knew about her satisfaction at his dismay, because he managed to step on her feet a lot more than expected from a boy with what the adults called "amazing" grace for his age. (He had smirked at her when he received that, what she felt was undue, praise).  
  
She had noticed then, even as a ten year old girl, how annoyingly good looking he was. And then, and then there was that face he made when he wanted something. All he had to do was look at her with those puppy-dog eyes and she'd sigh and do whatever he wanted at the time. She almost always regretted it, since it usually involved some sort of prank.  
  
She hated to admit it, but they had been best friends. He knew more about her than anyone else in the world. He knew her favorite color (blue, and not because Sirius' eyes were blue), her favorite ice cream (cookies and cream), and her favorite subject (Astronomy). But he also knew the things she wasn't so fond of, like heights and thunderstorms.  
  
But something had happened when they had gone to Hogwarts. Contrary to what their parents wished, neither child had been sorted into Slytherin. They hadn't even been sorted into the same house at all. She had been placed into Ravenclaw, which was notorious for the most intelligent students. And Sirius had been placed in Gryffindor, whose students were known for their bravery, though it grew increasingly apparent that the more common trait of that year's Gryffindors was trouble-making. She had secretly been pleased when she had been placed in Ravenclaw, as he had always made it a point to compete with her over grades. But she had also been dismayed, because for the first time in her life, she wasn't going to be in all the same classes as Sirius.  
  
But both moved on and matured over their seven years at Hogwarts, becoming two very different people. Never intentionally avoiding each other, that happened naturally for the first two years.  
  
Then at the beginning of third year, one of Lauren's roommates had told her something over breakfast. Something about Sirius and...her. Only, no one seemed to be aware that it was about her. Actually, Lauren still didn't know what made her angrier and sadder, the fact that Sirius had obviously told someone, or the fact that she was now being referred to as "some girl" by all of her classmates.  
  
She thought about that night again, for the first time in a long while. It might have been a dream, but she could have sworn...Regardless, that memory had been tainted by the fact that Sirius had told.  
  
Her friendship with Sirius Black, which had already been slipping away, slowly but surely, had been smashed to pieces that morning.  
  
Gradually their reputations were formed: his as the gorgeous, womanizing prankster; hers as the beautiful but untouchable brain.  
  
And that was what she had come to accept. Until now, when he came crashing back into her life at warp speed.  
  
These thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant, when she felt someone's (most likely his) gaze on her. She looked up at him and nodded to acknowledge his arrival as she murmured, "Black." He was giving her that same sly smirk that he had given that Hufflepuff girl. However, she was not impressed. No, she was not impressed at all by his perfect black hair that always fell seductively into his beautiful blue eyes framed by thick black lashes, nor his perfect nose, nor his perfectly straight, inhumanly white teeth, nor his sculpted cheekbones, or his tanned, chiseled...Luckily, she was pulled off of that dangerous train of thought by his laugh.  
  
She blinked, and realized that Professor Waters was standing in front of them, ready to give them their crazy assignment. Apparently he had been waiting for her to return back to earth. She coughed, and then quickly apologized. She heard a snort beside her. A snort that would have been completely unattractive, had it been emitted by any other person than Sirius Black.  
  
She finally looked expectantly at the professor, who handed them a piece of paper with the number seven written at the top. She quickly read the assignment, and almost laughed out loud when she finished. Apparently, Sirius had finished reading it before her, because he did not have the same restraint that she did. He was positively cracking up, right there in the middle of their Muggle Studies class, in their professor's face, no less!  
  
She glared at him indignantly. It was all she could do to prevent herself from laughing, too. His laugh had always been contagious to her. And their assignment really was quite hilarious, in fact.  
  
So once Sirius recovered, they discussed how in the world they were going to catch a fish from the lake on the Hogwart's grounds without using any magic, between his occasional fits of laughter, that is.  
  
Lauren left class that day feeling very odd, very odd indeed. She had spent the last seven years of her life convincing herself that Sirius Black had the biggest head of anyone in the whole school. And maybe she wasn't wrong about that. But meanwhile she had overlooked something she realized was highly important: the fact that Sirius Black had the most attractive (albeit overlarge) head (and everything that was attached to it) in the whole school.  
  
She shook her head furiously as she reached the entrance to the Ravenclaw dorms. 'He's still the biggest prat you've ever known,' she reminded herself.


	2. Research

Siriusly Deluded

Chapter Two: Research  
  
An hour later, Lauren accompanied Karen, another seventh year Ravenclaw and her best friend at Hogwarts, to the library. Karen, who was still taking History of Magic (exactly why the girl would want to put herself through the torture, Lauren couldn't begin to fathom), had been assigned a particularly nasty essay about the goblin rebellions. Lauren decided to start researching for the written portion of the dreaded Muggle Studies project.  
  
Lauren was about to complain about being partnered with Sirius Black for about the fiftieth time since they had met in the dorm, but Karen gave her a withering look, and stated sharply, "If you say another word about your project, I am going to hex you into next week."  
  
Lauren stopped in the hallway, contemplating. 'At least I wouldn't have to go fishing tomorrow morning with him.' Then she shook her head, knowing she'd have to do it eventually. 'Yes,' she decided, 'it's definitely better to get it over with.'  
  
Karen had stopped as well, and was staring as Lauren deliberated in her mind. There was a gleam in her eyes, and a slight smirk on her face.  
  
"Sorry," Lauren mumbled and started down the hallway again. Soon they reached the library, and Lauren pulled the door open and let herself in, holding it open with her arm to allow her friend through.  
  
They chose their usual table in the far right corner of the library. It was perfect for studying, since very few people ever wanted to check out anything from the nearby flobberworm section.  
  
Lauren walked slowly to the muggle section of the library. She glanced over the titles, then a book titled "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fishing" caught her eye. She gingerly picked it up, not wanting to admit she knew absolutely nothing about fishing, especially as the term "idiot" was so insulting. 'But,' she thought wickedly, 'it does describe one of us' as she gathered it into her arms along with a few nearby volumes and carried it back to the table.  
  
Lauren had been bent over the books reading for about an hour when she realized she was getting a crick in the back of her neck. Suddenly her thoughts jumped to Sirius. She angrily wondered why she was in the library on a Friday night, researching for their project, while he was probably in a broom closet with that Hufflepuff girl, researching her tonsils.  
  
She shook her head, trying to remove that searing image from her mind. She really didn't want to ponder why she was so affected by it.  
  
Lauren decided it was best to keep her mind on the project. Basically, she had read a lot of information about equipment she didn't even know if Hogwart's had. And she really didn't feel like buying any for the stupid project anyway. She did, however, learn that fish usually came to the surface in the early morning, so that would probably be the best chance to try to catch one.  
  
Lauren rolled her eyes, still not believing the ridiculous assignment. It was bad enough that muggles thought that this activity was enjoyable. Now she had to endure it with Sirius.  
  
She looked over at her friend, who was chewing the end of her sugar quill thoughtfully. "Hey, Karen," Lauren whispered, "I have to go to the owlery. You wanna come with me?"  
  
Karen looked back at Lauren, looking a little more than slightly annoyed. Then her expression changed. "What, sending an owl to your new boyfriend?" she teased.  
  
Lauren was surprised to feel her face flush at the question. "Of course not," she stammered. "I just have to inform him about when we are going to fulfill the requirements of our project," she finished, trying to make the whole ordeal seem as professional as possible.  
  
"You go ahead. I still have a couple centimeters left," Karen said. Lauren frowned, wishing that Karen would wipe the smirk off her face already.  
  
She sighed, picked up the books to place on the reshelving cart, then walked out of the library, heading for the owlery.  
  
It took her a little longer than usual, considering she had to break up a duel in the hallway between some third year Gryffindors and Slytherins and an overly-friendly couple she found hiding behind some drapes.  
  
Nevertheless, Lauren finally reached the owlery. "Sugar," she called out. A beautiful brown barn owl flew down from a high perch and landed on her arm. She petted the owl for a while, then gave it a bit of cracker she had saved from lunch.  
  
Lauren sighed again, not wanting to write a letter to Sirius. Merlin, she didn't even know how to start it! What was she going to say, "Dear Sirius?" Please! Frustrated, she thought about it a few minutes more, then decided what to write (thinking that omitting the greeting was probably the best way to go):  
  
I did a little research in the library this afternoon.  
  
She didn't want him to think that she had absolutely no life, even if it was true.  
  
I know that we were supposed to meet later in the day, but the books said that the fish bite early in the morning. I have a lot of other assignments coming up, so I'd  
really like to get this over with. So, could you meet me at 6 a.m. by  
the lake tomorrow?  
  
-Lauren  
  
She wrote "Sirius Black" on the outside of it, and reluctantly tied the letter to Sugar's leg, then watched as he flew into the air, climbing higher and higher until he was a tiny speck in the sky.  
  
Then she headed down to dinner in the Great Hall.  
  
Later that night, Sirius sighed as he approached the entrance hall to meet Sara Barnes for the date they had arranged while the rest of the members of their Muggle Studies class were drawing numbers. But he felt like something was wrong, monumentally wrong. What was he doing going on a date with Barnes for?  
  
'Besides the fact that she's hot, not to mention crazy about you?' he reminded himself. After all, she was perfectly fine until he had been partnered with none other than Lauren Walker for their little project.  
  
Of all the girls in the school, she was the only one who could ever, ever make him regret the way he had been acting during his magical "education." Sure, he had three of the best friends in the world, he would never deny that. Considering the fact that he had kind of been thrown into a friendship with his three fellow Gryffindors, they were better friends than he could have ever asked for.  
  
But sometimes he thought that they humored him a little (or a lot) more than was good for him. For instance, playing pranks on his favorite greasy- haired Slytherin or dating a new girl every week (or day).  
  
Then again, he couldn't help it if Snivellus was annoying, and he certainly couldn't help it if every girl in the school threw themselves at him, could he?  
  
Well, every girl except Lauren Walker. 'As if I want her to.' Wait a minute! Was he kidding? Of course he wanted her to. She was the most perfect girl he had ever known, and that was why he knew he didn't have a snowball's chance in hell with her. A girl like her would never go for a guy who had snogged every somewhat attractive girl in the school. A girl like her would never admire a guy who made fun of others at every possible opportunity just to make him feel better about himself.  
  
He maybe, just maybe had a chance with her before they went to Hogwarts. Before that, she was easily his best friend. That probably explained the immense change in his behavior once he befriended the rest of the Marauders, but that was another story. He vividly remembered the dreadful experiences of attending those stupid balls. Well, dreadful except for one thing, the presence of Lauren Walker.  
  
She knew he hated it, and he knew that she liked that he hated it. Therefore, he liked teasing her by stepping on her feet. She had shot him venomous glares every time, but looking back on it now, she had never agreed to dance with any other boy. That meant something, didn't it?! He was caught in a whirlwind of thought about a girl he had avoided thinking about for the past seven years and frankly, he wasn't all that happy when he was interrupted by a painfully wannabe-seductive voice saying,  
  
"Hello, gorgeous."  
  
"Oh, hey, Sara," he replied distractedly. She frowned. He noticed. 'Oh, nice one, Sirius,' he thought to himself. He instantly turned his trademark charm up a notch. "Well, darling, shall we be going," he asked as he held out his arm to her. He grimaced as she latched herself onto his arm, a little too eagerly, it seemed to him.  
  
A few hours later, Sirius and Sara were having a major snog session in a broom closet near the entrance to the Quidditch pitch. Not surprisingly, he was distracted. Nor was it surprising just what (or rather, who) it was that was so distracting. Sara, like every other girl he had dated, had thrown herself at him in the middle of the hallway. Half out of embarrassment, and half scared that a particular Ravenclaw prefect would catch them, he had led her to this closet. Sara seemed impressed by his actions, as if it was a romantic setting or something. He rather agreed with the other Marauders, who were constantly calling him a "dog." 'Well, that's for more than one reason,' he told himself as he felt Sara's fingers entwining into his hair.  
  
He tried to put other thoughts out of his mind, but he was completely unsuccessful. Sara noticed of course, and pouted as he led her back to the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room. "You could have come in, you know...if things had gone better..." she said, apparently still trying to grab his attention with her offer. He knew better, though. He had never slept with a girl at Hogwarts. He, of all people, didn't mind having a little fun with the girls, but he'd never done that. He was sure that most of the people at the school thought differently though. That was his reputation after all, and he hadn't done anything to stop the rumors from flying. It just seemed...wrong. Not that he didn't want to sleep with a girl; he was a teenager with raging hormones. But that was just the problem, he realized at that very instant. He wanted to sleep with a girl, a certain girl in particular.  
  
"I'm sorry," he mumbled to the blonde, who looked severely offended and stood there with her mouth hanging open as he turned and walked down the corridor, through the portrait to the Gryffindor common room, up the stairs, into his dormitory, and collapsed onto his bed, deep in thought.  
  
The other Marauders raised their eyebrows at each other, but decided that it probably wasn't the best time to interrupt their uncharacteristically pensive friend.  
  
Suddenly, there was a tap on the window. A small brown barn owl was standing on the narrow ledge, a letter tied to its leg.  
  
James suggested that Peter go retrieve it, and the boy seemed all too eager to do so. He opened the window and removed the piece of parchment.  
  
"Who's it for?" James called lazily.  
  
"Well, I think it's for Padfoot," Peter said slowly and meekly. He didn't think that Sirius was in a good mood right now, and didn't exactly want to be the bearer of bad news.  
  
Sirius, however, bolted up at the mention of his nickname. He grabbed the letter out of Peter's hands rather roughly. He read it quickly, then let out a sharp breath before he dropped back down onto his bed. Sirius wasn't exactly someone you could call a morning person.  
  
James, who was always quite fond of reading Sirius' fan-mail (the stupid poems and gushy love letters were usually very entertaining), came over and grabbed the letter from his hands.  
  
Sirius didn't even try to prevent him from taking it and running to the center of the room. He grimaced as James read it aloud to the Remus and Peter.  
  
Peter was looking oddly excited by the whole ordeal, but Remus was looking disapprovingly at James, who was less and less animatedly reading the contents.  
  
When James finished reading, he looked rather disappointed. He was hoping for a good laugh to cheer him up. He wasn't feeling so good since Lily Evans had yet again turned him down for a date.  
  
He did decide, however, to point out the line about "getting it over with." It was pretty amusing, considering the way girls normally acted around his best friend.  
  
"So, Sirius, finally found a girl who could resist your charms?" James asked, half-laughing.  
  
Sirius didn't look very happy about the comment, and didn't bother answering James. The immaturity of his friends, which usually didn't surpass his own, was really annoying him at the moment.  
  
James decided to shut his mouth. He and the other Marauders left the room, muttering something about wizard's chess that Sirius vaguely heard.  
  
Sirius finally had the room all to himself, but it didn't feel as good as he had hoped it would.


	3. Confusion

Siriusly Deluded

Thanks to my reviewers!

Padfoot-rulz011: Yeah, I've known too many brainless sluts to not give them representation in my fic!

bboo: First of all wtf? (I mean that in the nicest way possible :) I don't really understand your comment. But, from what I can surmise, I will try to answer you. I'm trying to explain how he becomes a better person through his relationship. Lauren is bringing to the surface a lot of things that Sirius has in the back of his mind. His thoughts conflict with his actions because he is acting almost mechanically. And he is immature...

Chapter 3: Confusion

Sirius awoke with a start the next morning. 'Why the hell did I charm my watch to wake me up at 5:30 in the morning? On a Saturday?!' He asked himself angrily. Then he remembered that Lauren had wanted to complete the first step of their Muggle Studies project the next morning, when supposedly the fish would be biting or something.  
  
For the first time in his life, Sirius dragged himself out of bed before the sun itself had risen. He didn't bother to change his white t-shirt, but sleepily pulled a pair of jeans on over his boxers. He went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and splashed cold water on his face in an unsuccessful attempt to wake himself up. He reached up to rake his fingers through his hair, then decided it was too early to bother.  
  
As he walked back into the dormitory, Sirius stretched out his hand to grab his wand out of habit, then unhappily dropped it back on his nightstand as he remembered the terms of the assignment. Then he walked (well, halfway fell) down the stairs to the Gryffindor common room. He was not surprised to see it completely deserted. 'Anyone who normally gets up at this ungodly hour must be crazy!' He was disgusted by the mere thought.  
  
Sirius sleepily walked down the corridors, to the entrance hall, out the doors, and down to the shore of the lake. What he saw there finally returned him to the land of the conscious.  
  
It was Lauren, carelessly walking along the shore of the lake, her back turned to him. Her dark hair was moving gently in the wind, and her white cotton skirt was being blown around her legs.  
  
It had been a long time since Sirius had seen her in muggle clothing, and those seven years had 'surely done her good,' he thought wickedly to himself. She was, in a word, "stunning." There was something special about her. Some peacefulness that raised her to a whole other level than all the girls he had dated at Hogwarts.  
  
He didn't want to interrupt her solitude, but he coughed to get her attention. His breath caught in his throat as she turned around to look at him, smiling. He remembered that smile. Her truly genuine smile, the one that reached her eyes, causing them to sparkle. He certainly hadn't been on the receiving end of it for a while, especially not yesterday in class.  
  
Suddenly, her expression changed, as if she had recalled some bad memory. He had a pretty good idea of what that might be.  
  
He remembered that night as if it were yesterday. It was his fondest pre- Hogwart's memory. In fact, most of the happy memories he had from those days included Lauren. She was the bright light in a childhood full of darkness.  
  
It was a dark, stormy night in August, only one week before they were going to travel to Hogwart's.  
  
Sirius' family had held a huge dinner party, supposedly in celebration of the beginning of his education in magic. All of the Black family was there. He was not very happy about it. Mainly because, every time the Black clan got together, they eventually started talking about other wizarding families, including Lauren's.  
  
Apparently Sirius' aunt wasn't very fond of the Walkers. He had listened to her saying things about how they disgraced the reputation of pureblood wizarding families with their refusal to sign a petition demanding that muggleborns not be allowed to attend Hogwart's.  
  
Sirius was sick of the whole thing, really. He had no problem with muggleborns. He thought it was really cool that he was going to be able to meet new people. The pool of people he was currently allowed to be friends with was not all that great. It included Snape, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, LeStrange, and many other entirely spoiled, conceited children.  
  
Sirius had had enough. Why couldn't his family just be normal. Certainly, not every family spent all their time complaining about people behind their backs just because they didn't agree with them on certain issues.  
  
He got up from the table, disgusted. No one seemed to notice that he had left. He had the feeling that the "party" was merely an excuse to badmouth other wizarding families.  
  
When Sirius got to his room, he shut and locked the door. He heard a sharp crack and a terrible thundering noise a few seconds later. He hadn't really noticed how bad the storm had gotten during dinner.  
  
Then he thought about Lauren, pushing his angry thoughts about his "family" aside. About how much she was afraid of thunderstorms. 'She must be so scared right now.'  
  
Sirius hurried over to his fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder. He threw it down onto the marble and stuck his head in, speaking, "Third floor, 342 Clairmont Avenue."  
  
A few seconds later, he was looking into Lauren's room. He saw her lying on her bed with the blankets over her head.  
  
"Lauren," Sirius whispered, afraid to scare her even more.  
  
Lauren slowly pulled the covers off her head and looked around. She half- smiled when her eyes fell upon Sirius' head in her fireplace.  
  
"Hey," she said softly. "How was your party?"  
  
"Just great," Sirius replied sarcastically.  
  
Lauren gave him a knowing look. Then she ventured, "Need to get away?"  
  
She knew she would get in big trouble if her parents found out about this, but she was scared of the thunderstorm raging outside and Sirius always knew how to make her feel better. And he seemed unhappy about his family's behavior, even more so than usual.  
  
"Yeah, okay," she heard him respond.  
  
A couple seconds later, all of her friend had appeared in her fireplace. He walked swiftly over to her bed and sat down beside her.  
  
"You want to talk about it?" she asked, trying to read his expression.  
  
"Not really," he said, avoiding her eyes. His parents were so...so infuriating. He couldn't imagine how he could possibly be related to them.  
  
"Okay," came Lauren's simple response. He loved 'wait, since when have I loved anything about Lauren Walker?' that about her. She always understood; she never pushed him.  
  
He saw her cringe as another thundering noise rumbled outside. She was trying to be brave, probably because she knew that he had suffered through a bad night.  
  
Then he carefully put his arms around her, hugging her tightly. She put her arms around him as well, and rested her face in his chest.  
  
They stayed like that for a long time. Then, when it seemed like the storm was dying down, Sirius let go of her after giving her one last reassuring squeeze.  
  
They started talking about the impending school year. They were both very excited. He knew that Lauren was dreading being away from her family for such a long time, but she never told him that. He knew that she didn't want to remind him of his own family. He was very much looking forward to being away from them. The next week couldn't go by fast enough in his opinion.  
  
They talked about what subjects they were going to take. Sirius was quite interested in Transfiguration and flying. When he told that to Lauren, he noticed her frown slightly as he mentioned the last part. He knew her other fear was heights. She was probably envisioning him falling from a hundred yards in the air from his broom and crashing onto the ground below.  
  
'Girls are so stupid sometimes,' Sirius thought.  
  
She told him that she was really looking forward to Astronomy and Charms. She had always loved the stars and the sky. It was ironic really, since the things that interested her most were so far above her and the thing she hated most was heights.  
  
Then they talked about what they thought the school was like. He told her what he'd heard about the moving staircases and the Forbidden Forest (she didn't seem too happy about that, either).  
  
They talked the whole night, about anything and everything under the sun. Soon, they were both lying down, still carrying on their conversation lazily.  
  
Eventually they both fell asleep.  
  
Unconsciously, over the next few hours, they had moved so that they were side by side, facing each other, her back to the window and the occasional flashes of light from outside. His arms were around her, holding her close to him.  
  
They were in this position when he woke up around four in the morning. He didn't even remember falling asleep, but there he was, lying in his best friend's bed with his arms wound tightly around her. Before he knew what he was doing, he had kissed her forehead and whispered, "I love you." Then he fell asleep again.  
  
But that certainly wasn't the problem. The problem was that he had told the Marauders about it. Well, not exactly...  
  
It was the first night back at Hogwarts for their third year. They had all noticed how much all of the girls had seemed to mature over the summer. Sirius had noticed how James' eyes had been glued to Lily Evans during the entire feast.  
  
They were having a major discussion about their female classmates, and somehow it had evolved into a conversation about how far each of them had gone with a member of the opposite sex.  
  
Peter, of course, hadn't done anything at all. That didn't surprise Sirius in the least. He didn't think that Peter was exactly what any girl would consider attractive.  
  
Remus hadn't really done anything, either, but Sirius suspected that was because he was so shy. 'And the whole werewolf thing probably doesn't help much,' he supposed.  
  
James, apparently, had snogged a girl over the summer.  
  
Sirius, who had noticed Lauren as she was climbing into a carriage, had been thinking about that stormy night three years earlier.  
  
James had noticed Sirius' expression, and demanded that he tell them whatever he was thinking about.  
  
But Sirius really didn't want to share it.  
  
However, when James had jokingly suggested that Sirius hadn't done anything with a girl and compared him to Peter, Sirius was none too happy.  
  
Not wanting to be upstaged by James, he had smugly told them that he had once spent the night with a girl.  
  
They asked him who the girl was, but he wouldn't tell. He felt it was bad enough that he let his ego cause him to share that very private and precious memory, and in such a biased and half-truth kind of way.  
  
Nevertheless, the other boys had been very impressed by Sirius' admission.  
  
Sirius, however, was not very happy with his friends when he heard people talking about it the next day at breakfast. He didn't know which one of the Marauders had told (although he suspected it was Peter wanting to get some attention, 'The stupid git').  
  
He had been watching as a raven-haired girl leaned over to Lauren, whispering in her ear. He didn't have a very good feeling about what was going on. He felt like someone was performing the Cruciatus Curse on him when Lauren turned around and looked at Sirius, the pain obvious in her eyes.  
  
From that moment on, Sirius knew that she hated him. They hadn't really been friends for the past three years, so he hadn't felt an immediate loss. Actually, the rumor had made him very popular among the guys, who wanted to know all about the experience. He didn't tell them anything, saying they'd "just have to wait and find out themselves," another half-truth. The female population, put off at first, had come to be quite intrigued by the mysterious and handsome boy.  
  
Now in his seventh year, Sirius was definitely the most sought after boy in the school. He had dated, and snogged, just about every attractive girl in the school, including nearly all of the seventh years, several sixth years, and a select few fifth years (not to mention the girls who had already graduated from Hogwart's). Unfortunately, that didn't make him feel any better about what affect the rumor probably had on Lauren.  
  
Sirius didn't realize that the whole time he was recalling the memory, he had been staring at the brunette in front of him.  
  
Lauren eyed Sirius warily as she said, "Well, Black, are you ready to get this entirely unnecessary project over with?"  
  
Strangely, it seemed to take him a second to realize what she was saying. She noticed him almost imperceptibly shake his head, then nod as he led the way to the boat shed about 20 yards down the shore. She followed.  
  
And she tried really, really hard not to notice how...well...his clothing...er, fit...him.  
  
Sirius reached the shed and swung open the door a little more forcefully than he intended. He heard Lauren's voice murmur behind him, "Watch out, Black! Are you trying to knock me unconscious or something?" "Er, sorry 'bout that..." he managed. He was surprised at himself. Normally he would have been able to retort with some impossibly charming line. He grabbed one of the small boats inside the shed and began to pull it outside, towards the water. He caught Lauren's eye and motioned that he didn't need any help.  
  
Lauren raised her eyebrows at Sirius' behavior, and particularly his expression. He was normally loud and well...obnoxious in class. But today he was strangely quiet, as if something was on his mind. Without thinking, she ran her fingers through her hair, grabbed a net, and followed him once again.  
  
Meanwhile, Sirius had pulled the boat into the water. He stepped into it, then stuck out his hand to help her in as he remarked sarcastically, "Miss Walker, would you care to join me on a wonderful fishing trip?"  
  
Before she realized what she was doing, she had grabbed his hand. She was very, very shocked as she felt a jolt of electricity run through her body the instant they touched. However, she did manage to retort, "Why, of course, Mr. Black, I would be delighted," as she stepped haughtily into the boat.  
  
They both sat down, facing each other. 'Now what?' Sirius thought to himself. He was not very fond of situations in which he was completely incompetent (especially as they occurred so rarely). "How do you suppose we start this thing?" he questioned, just loud enough for Lauren to hear. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Lauren reached her arm across him and pulled down on a cord next to this box-like thing at his end of the boat. Sirius took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He could smell the coconut scent of her hair. He liked it...a lot.  
  
Suddenly, he heard the boat's engine roar to life. "How did you know what to do?" he questioned her. Lauren raised her eyebrows once again, amused at his ignorance of something. "Family vacation to the Mediterranean," she quipped as the boat was propelled across the water.  
  
She chanced a glance at his face once she realized that she had talked about her family. He was staring out at the water, apparently deep in thought. Lauren thoughts carried her into the previous year. Her mother had told her that Sirius had run away from home. She wasn't surprised by that at all, but...his family didn't even seem to care that he had left. And she never quite admitted it to herself, but Lauren had been worried about him. It wasn't as if sixteen year old boys had many safe places to run to. She almost hoped that he would show up in her fireplace. She had experienced a strange mixture of relief and disappointment when her mom said that Sirius had gone to the Potters.  
  
Lauren still wondered what happened the day Sirius finally left that dreadful house. She knew that he had endured a lot with them, so something particularly horrible must have happened. She also knew that Sirius wouldn't want to talk about it now, especially with her. In fact, he had never really gone into detail about what went on at his house, even when they had been friends.  
  
Then Lauren realized that they were far enough into the middle of the lake. She reached across Sirius again (perhaps a little more slowly than was necessary) and quieted the engine. And there she was, stuck out in the middle of the lake trying to catch a fish with Sirius Black.  
  
Sirius coughed again. Irritated, she looked at him. Apparently he expected her to do everything. Strangely, she didn't really mind all that much. But she still gave him a cool look as she said, "I guess we just drop this net into the water and wait for one to come..." She trailed off, not wanting to seem like she knew what she was doing when she truly had no idea.  
  
Sirius' voice broke the silence. "So that's it then, we just wait for a fish to happen to pass by and get caught in the net?" he asked exasperatedly.  
  
Inside her, Lauren felt her anger flare up. "Excuse me, Mr. Big-Man-On- Campus, did you have anything better in mind?"  
  
Sirius tried to fight back a smile, because he certainly had other things on his mind than just...waiting for the fish to come. He opened his mouth, found himself at a loss for words, then shut it again.  
  
"That's what I thought," Lauren said huffily. "And I would appreciate it if you would take your anger out on someone who's willing to endure it."  
  
With that, a peculiar silence settled over the boat. In a way it was uncomfortable, because they had stopped talking on such unfriendly terms. On the other hand, it was almost like before, when they knew each other so well that every second didn't need to be filled with meaningless chatter.  
  
Suddenly, Sirius heard something in the water. "I think we got one," he said excitedly to Lauren. Her eyes lit up. They both got up and grabbed onto their respective ends of the net. They looked at each other, waiting for a signal to pull it up. Lauren watched as Sirius nodded his head twice. Then on the third nod, they both pulled. There was a single, small fish in the net. 'Beggars can't be choosers,' Lauren thought.  
  
Unfortunately, the fish was not very happy about being out of the water. It flopped frantically around the deck of the boat as Lauren watched, amused, as Sirius tried to catch it and place it in a bucket on his end of the boat. It was one of the most entertaining things she had seen in a long time.  
  
Lauren was not at all amused, however, when the fish made an exceptionally energetic leap out of Sirius' hands and...back into the lake.  
  
"Brilliant! We're gonna have to wait forever until another fish comes, especially after all the racket you've made!" Lauren said exasperatedly. This was just too much.  
  
When Sirius looked back up at her, there was a distinct fierceness in his eyes. "I didn't see you trying to help me," he practically barked back at her.  
  
Lauren had never been affected by Sirius' temper, and this was no exception. "Well, I figured one of us scrambling around looking like an idiot was enough," she laughed.  
  
The sound of her laugh relaxed Sirius a bit. He began to laugh too. The ridiculousness of it all certainly wasn't lost on him. Then he got a weird urge...to jump into the lake. Yeah, he knew the giant squid was there, but he didn't care. He stared at the water, a strange smile upon his face.  
  
Lauren was watching him, and realized was he was about to do. "Black, don't you dare!" she pleaded. She heard a splash. Too late. Then she leaned over the side of the boat he had jumped off of. It seemed to be taking him a while to resurface. She started to worry...  
  
Then she felt cold water splash her on the back. She whirled around and saw Sirius grinning at her from the other side of the boat. She walked over there and gripped that side of the boat, kneeling on the deck.  
  
"I don't think your famous charm is going to help you catch any fish," she joked. But she was really thinking, 'Don't scare me like that!'  
  
He laughed, and suggested, "Maybe some mermaids, then?"  
  
Lauren rolled her eyes and stood back up. 'Leave it to Black to be looking for dates when we're trying to do a project.'  
  
"Will you please get out of the water? I'd really not like to stay out here all day," Lauren asked calmly.  
  
"What, Walker? Are you in a hurry? I don't have anywhere I need to be..." Sirius said in response.  
  
Lauren found that very hard to believe. She knew about his...social activities. She sighed.  
  
She was relieved to see Sirius climbing back onto the boat. Well, he was attempting to, at least. He was struggling to get a good grip on the slippery, wet side of the boat. She sighed again and stretched out both her hands to help him up.  
  
Sirius was surprised to see her extend her hands to help him out of the water. It was probably the first truly friendly gesture she had given him the whole morning. He grasped them (maybe a little too eagerly) and pulled himself back onto the boat. They were still holding hands when he stood up. He looked down at her. She looked like she was trying hard not to look at something, namely him. Inwardly, Sirius laughed. 'Always trying to play innocent,' he mused. Then he decided that he wanted to kiss her...  
  
Lauren had tried really hard not to marvel at the way his soaked t-shirt was clinging to his chest while Sirius was pulling himself out of the water. 'He's really too good looking for his own good,' she thought as she looked up into his eyes. 'Scratch that. He's too good looking for my own good.' By the time that she realized that his hands still hadn't let go of hers, she saw his face moving closer...  
  
Her eyes fluttered closed involuntarily. Then she felt his lips touching hers gently. It felt...really good. That's when it hit her. She didn't want to be one of Sirius Black's little groupies. This is probably what he did with all those other girls. She couldn't believe she had almost fallen for it. She placed a hand on his chest, pushing him away from her.  
  
As soon as Sirius' lips touched Lauren's he realized that this kiss was going to be different from the other kisses he'd shared. Most girls had their arms around him and we're shoving their tongues down his throat in two seconds flat. However, he wasn't exactly prepared for what Lauren did do. It felt like half a second before he felt her hand on his chest...pushing him away?  
  
He reluctantly pulled back, his mouth hanging open a little. He looked down at Lauren, who was determinedly staring at the floor, refusing to make eye contact with him. Sirius didn't really know what to do. This was not something he'd ever experienced before. At a loss, he sat down on his side of the boat.  
  
He was sitting there for about a minute, watching Lauren out of the corner of his eye. She was still standing there, frozen in the same spot. He was very uncomfortable about the situation.  
  
Then Sirius noticed the net twitching again. He swiftly reached around Lauren and grabbed each end of the net with his hands. He'd learned his lesson before, so he just put the whole net on the deck, not bothering to disentangle the fish from its folds.  
  
"I—We got one," he said simply, sitting back down. He moved to start the engine (he was a quick learner) and motioned for her to sit down. She obeyed, still not looking him straight in the eye.  
  
They propelled back across the lake in much the same manner as before, in complete silence. This silence, however, was quite uncomfortable.  
  
They had parted near the entrance to the Great Hall, after Lauren had muttered something about writing the essay, since he had caught the fish.


	4. Delusions

Siriusly Deluded

Thanks to my reviewers:

Anne-Evans89: I'm glad my physical depiction of Sirius is believable. Iwanted to make him as hot as possible, and I love the black hair/blue eye combination!

Padfoot-rulz011: Sorry to disappoint you! Sirius really do anything bad enough to really piss off Lauren, at least he hasn't yet.

Chapter 3: Delusions  
  
On Monday, Lauren was sitting in her Potions class, taking notes. She had spent most of the weekend writing the Muggle Studies essay. It took much longer than she had anticipating, because every time she tried to work on it, her thoughts kept drifting...So, she hadn't read in preparation for her Potions lesson like she usually did.  
  
She scribbled furiously with her quill:  
  
Delusion Potion:  
  
Composition: wormwood, crushed poppy petals, liquefied pyrite  
  
Invented: in 1421  
  
Effects: Siri 'Why did I write that?' Serious and often life-threatening;  
  
including uncharacteristic behavior and thoughts, loss of memory and  
  
inhibitions, uncontrollable urges...  
  
Those things seemed all too familiar to Lauren. She had...flirted?...with Sirius, and let him kiss her, and...liked it, all while forgetting what a prat he was...  
  
"Merlin, am I in trouble," she muttered under her breath.  
  
Severus Snape, who had been her Potions since second year (the professor partnered them based on their first year exam scores. Severus had earned full marks, while she was only one point behind), gave her a weird look.  
  
She was still surprised that she had been able to survive the past six years with him as her partner. He was not exactly the easiest person to get along with, he never had been. She was really glad that, even though she was a Ravenclaw, she was a pureblooded witch. Severus at least tried to be civil to her, unlike the way he was with any muggleborns and the Gryffindors.  
  
She tried to be more than civil back, but sometimes she just didn't have the patience. She felt sorry for him, because she knew he didn't have any friends. But, he didn't exactly give anyone the chance to get to know him, either.  
  
She shot a venomous look back, as if challenging him to say something to her. He half-smiled, and she couldn't tell if he was making fun of her or if he was proud of her for being so rude. She kept glaring at him, and he looked a little scared before he turned back to his own parchment.  
  
The rest of the class flew by. In no time, she was back in the Ravenclaw common room.  
  
The Marauders had certainly noticed Sirius' odd behavior when he returned to the Gryffindor dormitory on Saturday. James had opened his mouth to ask Sirius about it when Remus had given him a sharp, warning look. James had reluctantly closed it. He figured Remus knew better than he did when it came to this kind of thing.  
  
The whole time, Sirius had been thinking about what had happened. Initially, he had been floored by what had happened. And on top of that, he was wondering why he had been thinking so much about it. It wasn't all that important, really. Was it? 'He was Sirius Black, infamous Marauder. Every guy wanted to be him. Every girl wanted to be with him. And girls just don't turn down Sirius Black,' he thought. 'Sirius Black never had any serious feelings for girls. Sirius Black certainly never fell in love. It made people too vulnerable. Sirius Black...really needed to stop referring to himself in the third person.'  
  
The rest of the weekend, Sirius went on as if nothing had happened. He attended the Gryffindor team's Quidditch practice (he was a beater, and a damn good one, if he said so himself. His secret was that he imagined one of his family member's faces on the Bludger...), he ate dinner with the Marauders, he listened to James complain about how much he hated being a head student with Lily Evans (Sirius rolled his eyes at this), he played wizard's chess with Remus (and lost thoroughly), but the Marauder's noticed that the confidence, charisma, and energy that Sirius usually exuded just wasn't there.  
  
Well, at least it wasn't until Sirius woke up in a surprisingly good mood on Monday morning. He had that familiar gleam in his eye when he asked James, "Can I borrow your Invisibility Cloak later on?"  
  
James had agreed warily, wondering just exactly what his recently out of character friend was planning on doing.  
  
(A/N: I could be really mean and end it here, but I'll be nice this time;)  
  
"Hey, Lauren?" a girl's voice called from the entrance of the Ravenclaw common room. "Yes," Lauren replied. "Someone outside wants to talk to you," came the response. Lauren was puzzled. Who would want to talk to her now? It was ten minutes until curfew. She sighed as she got up and asked the fifth year girl who was outside. "I dunno," came the response. Lauren was too busy wondering who it could be to notice that the girl was trying hard not to smile. After all, anybody (well at least any girl) would have known who was waiting outside for the Ravenclaw prefect.  
  
Lauren cautiously exited the Ravenclaw common room and stepped into the hall. She looked to the right and didn't see anybody. She took another step forward and looked to the left.  
  
Suddenly she felt one hand cover her mouth and an arm grab her around the waist. Caught unaware, she was easily pulled backward, into some sort of...cloak?  
  
Once she recovered from the shock, she turned around to see none other than the gorgeous twinkling blue eyes of Sirius Black staring back at her. He grinned at her sheepishly as he removed the hand covering her mouth.  
  
She gaped back at him. Then she realized how angry she was. He had scared the shit out of her, for apparently no good reason.  
  
"What the hell are you doing, Black? It's almost time for curfew! What is this thing anyw—" she whispered acidly into his ear. Little did she know about the tingle that passed down the boy's spine at her closeness. It took a second for him to recover, and then he laid on his trademark charm as he reached his hand up and pressed his forefinger to her mouth, partly hoping to silence her, partly just to touch her lips.  
  
"It's an Invisibility Cloak. And I just wanted to show you something," came his soft response as he looked at her with those puppy-dog eyes. She tore her gaze away from him wondered if he knew that he was absolutely irresistible when he did that. Then she dismissed the thought. Of course he did, he was Sirius Black, the biggest flirt in all of Hogwarts. Then, as if pulled by a magnet, her eyes returned to his face once more, and she reluctantly nodded her assent.  
  
He grabbed her hand as he led her down the corridor, up a few floors and down a couple more corridors. She couldn't remember if she'd ever been there before. The school looked much different at night than it did during class time. Sirius hadn't said a word since before they had left, and she wondered what was on his mind. Finally, they reached a door.  
  
"Well, this is our stop," Sirius said as he grabbed the handle, pushed it down and opened the door ceremoniously. He watched her face as she looked into the room and was delighted when he saw her eyes widen in surprise.  
  
She turned to face him, awestruck. "What is the place?" she finally breathed.  
  
"It's a Room of Requirement. If you're walking by and you think really hard of something that you need, the door will appear and the room will become whatever you wanted it to be," Sirius replied, grinning.  
  
"Do you care to explain your need for an indoor lake at Hogwarts?" Lauren responded incredulously. Of course, she suspected that she knew the answer, but they hadn't talked about what happened between them and she hoped that this might be the time that he would finally tell her what he felt.  
  
"Er...well, I thought it was self-explanatory," Sirius responded quietly. Then he grabbed her hand, shut the door behind them, and pulled her to the boat that was waiting at the dock of the lake.  
  
Lauren didn't know what time it was, but she was sure it was much past curfew. She and  
  
Sirius had been laughing and joking for a long time, since he had somehow caught her off-guard, grabbing her by the waist as he stepped up to the edge of the boat and launched himself into the lake, carrying her along with him.  
  
Currently, they were taking a break from splashing each other. Sirius had definitely proved that he was the stronger one, dunking her repeatedly while she couldn't even push him under the water a little bit. Well, she had dunked him once, but she could tell that he had let her.  
  
Sirius had made the lake a lot shallower than its counterpart outside. In fact, it was just deep enough that his feet touched the bottom and only his head emerged out of the water.  
  
Unfortunately, Lauren was a good eight inches shorter than Sirius, and she had been treading water during their water fight. Her legs were very tired, and she took advantage of the easiest solution to her problem. She tentatively wrapped her arms around Sirius' neck to hold herself up. She shivered as she felt his arm snake its way around her waist.  
  
Now eye-level with him, she looked into his eyes, which she noticed were much darker than their usual crystal-clear blue. In fact, they matched the color of the lake, and even appeared to have the same turbulence in them.  
  
She fought the biggest urge to kiss him, right then and there in the middle of the "lake" he had created.  
  
But then she heard him sigh and felt herself being moved across the water, closer to the boat. He lifted her up and she grabbed onto the side, pulling herself up swiftly. He tried really, really hard not to stare at her body as she did so, but he was a guy, after all, and her soaking wet clothes were clinging to her very temptingly.  
  
He deftly repeated her motions and stepped onto the boat. He noticed that she had lain down on the floor of the boat, 'Maybe to catch her breath?' He did the same, laying down only a few inches from her. He felt so content. This was one of the best times he'd ever had in his life. He was so comfortable that he felt like falling asleep right there.  
  
Then he heard it. A timid, questioning voice said, "Sirius?" "Hmm," he mumbled in response, but then he realized something. Never, not once, in the past seven years had Lauren Walker ever called him by his first name. And frankly, it woke him up faster than that one time James had thrown cold water on his head. He grimaced at the memory, then pushed it out of his head.  
  
"Yes...Lauren?" he ventured eagerly, turning onto his side so he was facing her.  
  
She was still laying flat on her back as she said, "Well, I was just wondering..." and then her question trailed off into oblivion.  
  
He stared back at her expectantly. This had to be important, or she wouldn't have called him Sirius. He wanted to know what it was. 'Patience is a virtue,' he scolded himself as he watched her pull herself up to a sitting position. He followed suit.  
  
And he waited, and waited. 'Damn, this bloody patience thing sucks.'  
  
Then finally he heard her begin to speak. She spoke so softly that he had to lean into her to hear what she was saying, so he couldn't watch her face as he listened.  
  
"Umm, well, I was wondering...since you haven't...since we didn't...if you thought...if you weren't attracted to me?"  
  
That was the most absurd statement he had ever heard in his entire life. He threw his head back in laughter. Was she kidding? Of course she had to know that not only was he attracted to her, but he thought she was the most beautiful person he had ever known!  
  
Meanwhile, he didn't notice how quickly her head had dropped at his response.  
  
Then another realization hit him—hard. He got the same feeling that he did when he took a Bludger to the stomach during that Quidditch practice when they wanted him to play Keeper.  
  
She wasn't laughing.  
  
'You bloody idiot!' he yelled at himself internally. 'How could she know that you felt that way about her? You never told her!'  
  
He chanced a glance at her, but her face was buried in her knees. He scooted himself closer to her and lifted his hand to her face. He cupped her cheek and slowly tilted her face up so that he could stare into her chocolate brown eyes.  
  
What he saw there made his heart break. They were full of tears threatening to spill over, but beyond the wall of tears, the pain in her eyes was obvious.  
  
"How could you ever think that?" Sirius questioned gently as he looked into her face. She blinked, and the tears fell. He reached up his other hand, used the pads of his thumbs to wipe the tears away, and then cradled her face in his hands. He patiently awaited her reply.  
  
The words came slowly, half whispered and half choked. "Well, you haven't tried to...to kiss me...or anything...and I've heard what the other girls say about you...and you never asked me out...and...I just thought...that maybe you weren't interested in me that way..." she trailed off again, carefully avoiding his eyes.  
  
"You're right, I'm not interested in you in that way," he replied. He watched as her face fell and quickly added, "I'm interested in you in a different way." She finally looked up at him, expecting an explanation to his mysterious admission.  
  
"All those other girls...I don't even know what I was doing. But with you...with you it's different. I've never felt this way before," Sirius responded, the first words that that came to his mind tumbling out of his mouth, even though they weren't exactly the best explanation of the way he felt.  
  
"And besides, I did try to kiss you! Don't you remember? But you pushed me away and I thought I should take the hint," he recalled quickly, feeling more than slightly hurt at the memory as he removed his hands from her face.  
  
Her voice was stronger now. "Of course I remember. It was...nice..." she trailed off, then looked up at him.  
  
The look in his eyes gave her that twisty feeling in her stomach again. The one she kept getting every time he looked at her.  
  
He couldn't take it any more. All this time, he thought he had been respecting her by resisting the urge to snog her silly, and now he knew that she had wanted it, too, just as much (well, at least he hoped that last part was true).  
  
He gazed into her eyes as he reached forward and placed his hand on her cheek, stroking it lightly. He felt her hand reach up and cover his own. Somehow, he managed to tear his eyes away from hers and watched as he turned his hand over, intertwining his fingers with hers as he lowered their hands to the floor of the boat.  
  
Then he raised his eyes to hers once more and leaned forward determinedly, concentrating hard in an attempt to memorize every detail of that moment. He saw her eyes flutter closed, and closed his own eyes as his lips touched hers gently.  
  
It was tentative at first. He really did want to take it slow. Jumping into the hot and heavy stuff was what he usually did, but he had a feeling this was going to last longer than one night. In fact, it felt like they had all the time in the world...  
  
However, he couldn't ignore the thrill that he felt as her unoccupied hand reached up to the back of his head, and as her fingers absentmindedly played with his hair.  
  
He used his arm to pull her body closer to his, and he deepened the kiss, hoping that he could communicate all that he was feeling to her.  
  
He felt her respond to him, and he knew that she had gotten the point.  
  
But then she pulled away, and he couldn't help but feel some sadness at the action. He opened his eyes slowly, reluctant to allow the moment to end. As his eyes focused, he saw Lauren, smiling shyly back at him as she fruitlessly tried to push his hair out of his eyes. She quickly gave up, sliding her hand down to rest on his shoulder as he pressed his forehead to hers and released a shaky breath.  
  
He heard her sigh, and lowered his body so he was lying on the deck of the boat, pulling her along with him so she was next to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she nestled into him, resting her head on his chest. His other arm reached across their bodies to gently trace her spine with his fingertips. He felt her shiver and instinctively pulled her closer (blissfully unaware of the fact that he was the cause of the shiver).  
  
And that was how they fell asleep.


	5. Revelations

**Siriusly Deluded**

Once again, thanks to my reviewers:

Padfootz-luvr: Wow, your Sirius obsession kinda scares me. I've actually read The Notebook and I recommend it. I think I should join Fluffaholics Anonymous, too. Oh, yeah, before I forget: Sirius? Girlfriend? Are you kidding? Those two words don't belong in the same sentence, at least not in my story...yet.

Padfoot-rulz011: It's good to know that fluff can be cool :)

BlackWiltedRose: Thank you so much for the encouragement!

Anne-Evans89: They're in luck. The Marauders know how to avoid Filch :)

lelegurl9: You're welcome. I love writing it!

**Ch. 5: Revelations  
**  
It was the next night, a Tuesday. Lauren had been down in the Ravenclaw common room for the past three hours, completing a particularly difficult assignment for her Ancient Runes class. She loved the class, but it was pretty hard. In fact, all her classes were pretty hard. But she assumed it was all for the best, because she'd be ready for her NEWTs.  
  
She had already made the necessary preparations to go to sleep, and was about to change out of her pajamas when she heard a tap at the window. She jumped, startled by the noise.  
  
She turned around slowly, afraid of what she would see outside the window. When she saw what was out there, she was quite angry.  
  
Just outside her window was Sirius, hovering on a broom!  
  
He motioned for her to open the window. She took a few steps closer to the window, to be sure he was looking straight at her. Then she pointed to her watch and shook her head.  
  
His face fell, then he looked at her with those puppy-dog eyes again. 'Oh Merlin, here we go again,' she thought. She knew the look was coming, so she had tried to look away. However, she had caught a glimpse of him, and it was all over after that. She sighed and went over to the window.  
  
"Sirius, what do you want?"  
  
"Well, I thought it was high (he raised his eyebrows, she laughed) time that you got over your silly fear of flying," he replied.  
  
"Excuse me? Silly fear!" She stamped her foot. After the introductory flying lesson their first year, she had decided she would never sit on a broomstick again.  
  
"Well, yeah. There's nothing to be afraid of."  
  
"Are you kidding? Can't you ever be serious?" Lauren asked.  
  
"What? I'm always Sirius," he retorted, grinning evilly.  
  
"No, you're—well, I suppose you are," she was forced to reply.  
  
"So?" he questioned and held out his hand.  
  
Lauren thought for a second, then she struggled to keep a straight face as she retorted, "Well, since you insist that I receive flying instruction, I think I should enlist the services of Ravenclaw's seeker, Amos Diggory. I hear seekers are the best fliers, right?"  
  
She laughed as she saw his face contort into a rather unflattering expression. Then she shakily placed her hand in his.  
  
He helped her to sit on the broomstick behind him. He didn't have to suggest that she wrap her arms around his waist, as she immediately did so.  
  
"You ready?" he asked. He felt her arms tighten further around him. He figured that was about as good a response as he was going to get. So he kicked off, zooming towards the Quidditch pitch.  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut as they sped off, grabbing onto Sirius even more (if that was even possible). She loosened her grip when she heard him gasp, trying to breathe. It was a very strange feeling, being suspended high up in the air on just a stick with twigs attached to the end of it. The broom didn't exactly make for a comfortable seat either. But...the wind blowing past them, and being as close as she was to Sirius...made it almost enjoyable.  
  
She slowly opened her eyes. They were flying over the Forbidden Forest. From this view, it seemed so peaceful...  
  
Meanwhile, Sirius had always loved flying. But this was a new experience. Lauren was seated behind him, her arms around his waist and every inch of the front side of her body was pressed up against him. That's why he had taken a little detour over the forest...He eventually turned the broom around and headed to the pitch.  
  
Once they were there, he lowered the broom so it was hovering right above the ground.  
  
He got off the broom and looked into her eyes. He was very happy when he didn't see a trace of fear there. "Do you want to try?" he asked.  
  
"Okay," she responded hesitantly, "but you have to come."  
  
"Of course," he grinned back at her. He didn't have any intention of not coming. He climbed back on to the broomstick, encircling her waist with his arms and breathing in the scent of her hair. Then he decided he ought to kick off and placed his hands over hers (which were quite tightly gripping the handle).  
  
Immediately they were zooming through the air. He had thought that she would want to fly slowly, at least at first...but she always did manage to surprise him.  
  
"You're a natural," he said proudly into her ear as he removed his hands from over hers and once again wrapped them around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, closing his eyes.  
  
After a while, he felt the broom slowing down. He opened his eyes. Lauren had flown all the way up to the window of her dorm room.  
  
He sighed. He knew the night was going to have to end eventually, but he was enjoying it so.  
  
When he had helped her climb back through her window, Lauren stood there for a second, her eyes locked with his.  
  
Then Lauren took a step towards him. She stood on her tiptoes and he lowered his head so he could hear her as she whispered into his ear, quite out of breath, "Thank you."  
  
Now, normally Sirius would have said something along the lines of "I told you so," but instead he turned his head, and softly grazed his lips against hers.  
  
She brought her hand up to his cheek, resting it there for a second before she pulled away and said, "Now I think it's time for you to get over your silly fear."  
  
Sirius was very confused. "What fear?" he questioned. Sirius Black wasn't afraid of anything. At least he thought so...  
  
"Of being alone, of course."  
  
He blinked, and suddenly realized...he was afraid of being...that. Just the word scared him. The thoughts spun faster and faster in his head. Yes, that was why he had done so many things in his life, especially after his estrangement from his family. That was one of the reasons he had gone to Lauren's house that one night. That was why he never wanted to fall in love. What if that special person didn't love him back? He'd be left all alone. The constant stream of girls (had they been cheap replacements for someone else?) had certainly kept him company the past several years.  
  
Lauren watched his eyes grow wider and wider. She didn't realize she'd struck such a deep chord in Sirius. She'd always known that was what he feared, but she didn't think he did...until now.  
  
"But you know, Sirius, deep down, we're all afraid of that..." she whispered into his ear as softly as possible.  
  
He collected his thoughts quickly and said, "Ah, I see...but that's not what I'm most afraid of."  
  
"Oh really?" He had sparked her interest with his response (and the twinkle in his eyes as he said it...)  
  
"I fear being without you." He whispered, well, in all...seriousness.  
  
Lauren couldn't resist that. She leaned forward and kissed him, hard and hungrily.  
  
Sirius' eyes opened wide in shock. Then he used one hand to steady his broom and reached up with the other, tangling it in her hair.  
  
They finally came up for air when Lauren faintly heard someone giggling. It took her a second to realize it was one of her roommates, apparently very entertained by the sight of Lauren snogging a boy suspended in the air outside their window.  
  
"I think you should go," she said, embarrassed.  
  
Sirius wasn't ashamed at all. He was definitely used to PDAs. But he sighed and reluctantly removed his hand from her hair. He stared deeply into her eyes before murmuring "goodnight" and flying off.  
  
"See you later, Sirius," Lauren heard Karen say with a giggle.  
  
Lauren could feel Karen's eyes on her. Karen knew Lauren's feelings about Sirius, especially the less than friendly ones she'd had during their third year. She hadn't told her about recent events, but Karen was a Ravenclaw after all, and Lauren knew she had the sense to figure it out.  
  
"His charm finally got to you, huh?" she heard her friend say.  
  
"You could say that..." Lauren replied.  
  
She could literally hear Karen's eyes rolling in their sockets. "I always knew you'd have a change of heart. Is he as good a kisser as I've heard?"  
  
"Shove off," Lauren replied, laughing and tossing her pillow at Karen.  
  
She quickly changed into her pajamas, then climbed into her bed and shut the hangings. Then she realized that she was sans pillow.  
  
"Accio pillow," she said lazily as she opened one side of the curtain. Her pillow flew across the room. It nearly hit her in the face before she caught it.  
  
Exhausted from her excessive homework, flying, and kissing (she touched her lips, noticing how swollen they still were), Lauren quickly drifted off to sleep.  
  
The next night Lauren had prefect duties to attend to, which basically meant that she had to patrol the halls of the school with her fellow Ravenclaw prefect, John Lovegood.  
  
John was really nice, but Lauren thought him rather strange. He always talked about really crazy stuff, like he was doing at the moment.  
  
Lauren laughed inwardly as John launched into another spiel about the evidence of the existence of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks...  
  
Their shift was almost over, so the pair walked down the stairs to the entrance of the Great Hall, where Severus Snape and Bellatrix Black, the Slytherin prefects, were waiting for them. (A/N: I'm pretty sure that Snape wasn't a prefect, or James wouldn't have been able to do what he did to him without getting in big trouble. So, let's just pretend, okay?)  
  
Even though she had grown up with them as well, Lauren wasn't very fond of the two people standing in front of the huge doors. She didn't really like Bellatrix's attitude at all, especially as she was one of Sirius' estranged family members. She held the customary Black view of being superior to anyone who wasn't pureblood. Severus shared that mentality. Neither of them chose to hide their opinions.  
  
One of the things that Lauren had been angry with Sirius for was his constant torturing of Severus. She couldn't believe that he could be so insensitive and mean.  
  
Sure, Severus was an easy target. He was small, quiet, and unconfident. And Lauren didn't have any respect at all for Sirius when she heard about the things he had done.  
  
When they reached the Slytherins, Lauren said to Severus, "No problems tonight. Probably because of Professor Binns' insane annual term paper." She was so glad that she had decided to stop taking History of Magic after completing her OWLs. Binns was the most boring professor in the entire world.  
  
Severus smirked back at her knowingly. Bellatrix simply scrunched up her nose at the memory.  
  
Suddenly, Lauren felt something poke her in the back. "Ow!" she yelped. She whipped around, but saw nothing behind her. She quickly deduced that it had been Sirius, under that stupid invisibility cloak. She narrowed her eyes and slowly turned around to face the other prefects, all of whom were looking at her as if she was crazy, even John. She silently vowed to have a little talk with Sirius.  
  
"Sorry, I think my wand poked me in the back," Lauren quickly explained, careful not to meet the eyes of the others. She wasn't the best liar in the world.  
  
She looked up at them again and said, "Well, I have some business I need to attend to..." She quickly turned around and stalked down the corridor, turning right at the first connecting hallway. She walked another fifty meters before stopping abruptly.  
  
"Okay, Sirius," Lauren said tersely.  
  
She watched Sirius come into view as he removed the cloak, grinning stupidly at her.  
  
"Sirius, what in the bloody hell is wrong with you? Merlin! Are you trying to make me look like an idiot in front of people?"  
  
Sirius' smile quickly faded. He was staring at her, and Lauren saw a glimmer of anger in his now insanely bright blue eyes as he retorted, "Why were you talking to them, to Snivellus?" He finished with a sneer.  
  
Lauren's eyes widened. Was he jealous of her talking to Sni—Severus? If that was the problem, he was being incredibly immature. She decided to ask him. She took a step closer. "Sirius, do you have a problem with me talking to Severus?" she ventured carefully, searching his face intently.  
  
"Of course I don't. I just don't think it's good for you to associate with such nosy, annoying..."  
  
Sirius stopped talking when Lauren raised her eyebrows. She didn't believe a word he was saying and he knew it.  
  
He took a deep breath and said simply, "Okay, I do."  
  
She grabbed his hands, lacing her fingers into his. She looked up at him, making sure she had his full attention.  
  
"Sirius, you have absolutely no reason to be jealous. I have to talk to him, just like I have to talk to all the other prefects. And even if we weren't both prefects, he's been my partner in Potions forever..."  
  
Suddenly Lauren thought she knew why Sirius had been playing all those vicious pranks on the poor Slytherin boy all those years. She felt very guilty. If she had known she was the reason for the pain and embarrassment Sirius and his friends had caused Severus...Now she was really mad. 'How dare he use me as an excuse to do those horrible things?' She let go of his hands.  
  
"...I want you to stop playing tricks on him, starting right this second. I can't believe you, using him to make you feel better about yourself," she finished, disgusted.  
  
Sirius sighed and looked down at the floor. Lauren was right, about everything. He had started torturing (rather than just taunting) Snivellus when he had found out that he had been paired with Lauren in Potions. And with the encouragement he received from James and Peter (Remus had never approved, though), it had really snowballed from there. He was pretty ashamed of himself at the moment. 'I must be the biggest prat in the world,' he thought.  
  
"Alright, I'll stop. Will you forgive me?"  
  
"It's not me you should be asking for forgiveness, it's Severus. However, I do accept your apology," he heard her reply resignedly.  
  
For some reason he didn't think that Sniv—Snape (he just couldn't bring himself to refer to that greasy git by his first name) would be forgiving him anytime soon...  
  
"Thank you. I'll try" he said.  
  
"Good. I'll see you later," Lauren responded coolly.  
  
He watched as she walked down the hall, feeling more like six centimeters tall rather than six feet.  
  
Then he put on the cloak and dragged himself back to the Gryffindor dormitories. 'I should have just stayed and played wizard's chess,' he thought, not at all happy with the night's events.  
  
When he reached the common room, the Marauders were at their usual table, perusing an all-too familiar piece of parchment. He flopped onto the couch beside Remus, and lazily looked over the Marauder's Map. Suddenly, a particular part of the castle caught his eye. He suddenly had an idea how he might get Lauren to talk to him again...


	6. Preparations

**Siriusly Deluded**

Once again, thanks to my reviewers:

Sarah: Even though you didn't officially review, thanks for your interest in my story. It means a lot to me!

BlackWiltedRose: Thank you so much! I was wary about what people's reactions would be about my original character, especially because she's largely based on me...

Padfoot-rulz011: Yeah, I hope that Sirius had some excuse for being such an idiot, besides the fact that he was a total jerk! And yeah, I think it would be quite an experience to fly on a broomstick.

nexiumchick: Thanks. I read and reviewed your story, which I like :) It seems we have some similar ideas...Great minds think alike, eh?

**Ch. 6: Preparations  
**  
Two days later, Lauren and Sirius still hadn't talked. She was still angry with him for being such a prat, and all because he was jealous that Snape was her partner and he had alienated himself from her when he told his friends about...that night so long ago.  
  
Lauren and her friends were eating breakfast in the Great Hall. Karen, whom Lauren suspected had noticed that something bad had happened between her and Sirius, was sitting beside her. Every few minutes, Karen would turn to face Lauren, open her mouth slightly, but close it again.  
  
Lauren was glad her sarcastic and blunt friend couldn't bring herself to say whatever it was she had on her mind. Frankly, she didn't want any advice. It was nice to know that Karen cared, but still...  
  
Suddenly a letter dropped onto Lauren's plate. She hadn't even noticed that the owls had arrived to bring the mail.  
  
Lauren picked up the letter, wondering who could have sent it.  
  
She opened it up and started reading:  
  
_Mr. Sirius Black...  
_  
Lauren almost stopped reading it the second she saw his name. She wasn't ready to make up with him yet. But her curiosity got the best of her and she continued.  
  
_...requests the presence of Miss Lauren Walker at the Hogwart's Astronomy Tower next Friday night at 9 o'clock in the evening.  
  
P.S. Semi-formal attire is suggested.  
  
P.P.S. Mr. Black also hopes that Miss Walker can forgive him for acting like an insufferable, bloody git when he could have just told her how he felt.  
_  
Lauren took a deep breath. Even though she was still angry with Sirius, this gesture was really sweet. She was rather flattered, since he had remembered how much she liked astronomy and had basically admitted that he had liked her, well, forever. 'I told him that such a long time ago...' she mused, a slight smile playing on her lips.  
  
She turned to her friend. "Er, Karen...I'm so sorry for being in such a bad mood these past few days."  
  
"Something happened with Sirius, didn't it?" Karen questioned, though she already knew the answer.  
  
"Yeah, but it's okay. So, anyways, I was wondering if you would come with me to shop tomorrow when we go to Hogsmeade." Lauren looked at Karen expectantly.  
  
"You mean you're not going with Sirius?"  
  
"No, I think we need a little time apart," Lauren said.  
  
"Of course I'll help," Karen replied, "but, what are you shopping for?"  
  
"You'll see," said Lauren mysteriously. Then she read the letter again, a peculiar expression on her face.  
  
Karen rolled her eyes. Lately, her friend had been acting a little...weird.  
  
Sirius was watching as Lauren received the letter and read it. He thought he saw the glimmer of a smile on her face. He took that as a good sign. He looked at the other Marauders, whom he had told not to even dare a glance at the Ravenclaw table and gave them a grin.  
  
Remus looked back at him with a strange emotion on his face...Was it pride? 'Maybe he's proud of me for finally being able to have real feelings about someone...like he did...' Sirius gulped at his recollection of the previous year's events. That was yet another reason why Sirius didn't want to fall in love. It was so complicated, so painful. He didn't think Remus would ever get over it, but the Marauders had helped him through it, and Remus had proved his strength. (A/N: more on this in my story about Remus, which I will post after this one is done)  
  
Sirius wasn't surprised to see that James hadn't even waited for him to give the verdict. He was shocked, though, when he saw him sitting close to a blushing Lily Evans, whispering in her ear. How could he have missed that long-due development? He definitely planned on asking good ol' Prongs about it. Later. He was still watching Lauren, who was now talking to that black- haired girl again. Karen, he believed her name was.  
  
The next day, Karen and Lauren were walking through the streets of Hogsmeade. They had already been to the Three Broomsticks and after drinking a Butterbeer each, had headed out into the bustling wizarding town.  
  
Lauren stopped when she reached the store she had been heading towards. The red sign read, "Madame Divine's Dresses for All Occasions" in fancy gold letters.  
  
"This is it, Karen. Let's go inside." Lauren pushed open the door to the shop, excited at the prospect of getting all dressed up.  
  
"Alright, I need something semi-formal to wear on...well, to wear on my date with Sirius," Lauren finished quickly.  
  
"I should have known that was what this was about," Karen teased, smirking at Lauren.  
  
For the next ten minutes, the pair of girls were rushing around the store, picking out every dress that looked like it might be appropriate.  
  
"I think this might be the one," Lauren called out to Karen from inside the dressing room.  
  
"Really? Let's see it then," came Karen's reply.  
  
Lauren looked at her reflection in the mirror once more, then opened the curtain that separated her from her friend and stepped out into the store.  
  
Karen had barely looked at her before she looked Lauren straight in the eyes and said, "If you don't buy that dress this second, I will get it myself."  
  
Lauren laughed at her friend's reaction. She headed straight back into the dressing room and changed into her own clothes quickly.  
  
After she emerged, she headed straight over to the counter and made her purchase. Lauren was smiling during the whole walk back to Hogwart's.  
  
It almost made Karen sick. 'It's sweet, really,' she had to tell herself, _repeatedly_.

A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short, especially because I've already written the next one. But I"ll just leave you hanging for a little while... to ponder what Sirius has up his sleeve.


	7. Flirtations

**Siriusly Deluded  
**  
And yet again, thanks to all my reviewers:  
  
magid bond: Thanks! I will definitely keep updating!  
  
air-supply: Thanks for reading! I definitely plan on working more Remus into this story. If you're interested, I will be writing a story about him. I've had the idea for a long time. I wrote parts of this one with that one in mind, so they intertwine a bit. Maybe it will explain why Remus doesn't have a really big role in this one. As for Hagrid...I write what I'm inspired to write...and so far he hasn't come up. But don't get me wrong, I love Hagrid. It's just...like I said, this is mainly fluff...  
  
Anne-Evans89: Here you go! I am a sucker for the sweet and innocent act...that's probably why I love Sirius so much!  
  
BlackWiltedRose: I'm sorry...I know I'm evil. I didn't make you wait too long, did I?  
  
nexiumchick: Demanding, aren't we? Hehe. Thanks for your interest in my story! It makes me happy!

lelegurl9: Er...you will find out more about Karen in later chapters. She might be interested in one of the Marauders...I'm not going to say who, though.  
  
**Ch. 7: Flirtations  
**  
The following week actually passed pretty quickly, which surprised Lauren. But considering the horrific amount of homework she had been assigned, as well as her patrols of the school and a prefect meeting, it made sense that the time would go by fast.  
  
Lauren was currently walking up the stairs to the top of the Astronomy Tower. She hadn't spent time with Sirius for over a week, and she had really missed the bloody idiot. She was definitely looking forward to tonight.  
  
After what seemed like forever, she finally reached the door to the observation level of the tower.  
  
She pushed open the door and stepped outside. It took a while for her eyes to adjust.  
  
Sirius had been up in the tower for the past twenty minutes, making sure everything was prepared. Well, there wasn't really anything to prepare, except himself, that is. Now he was staring up at the sky as he waited for Lauren to arrive.  
  
He turned quickly as he heard a noise behind him and froze when he saw what, or more exactly who, was stepping through the door.  
  
It was Lauren, wearing an amazing black dress. His eyes slowly began to travel down the length of her body. It had thin straps and a low, v-shaped neckline. The dressed hugged all of her curves very...nicely. At her hips, many strips of gauzy black fabric, attached to the skirt of the dress, were floating softly in the breeze. The dress was perfect, and so was she.  
  
Lauren could finally see what was outside. Her eyes fell upon Sirius, who was standing next to one of the telescopes by the wall.  
  
He was wearing black slacks and a blue shirt that matched the color of his eyes perfectly. She couldn't have picked a better one herself. In fact, it highlighted his eyes so much that she could see them shining from where she was standing.  
  
Once she was able to tear her eyes away from his, she noticed that his hair was messed up, as if he had ran his hand through it. 'Out of nervousness?' she wondered. The Sirius Black she knew wasn't prone to nervousness.  
  
Then she saw the look on his face. He looked...well, his face was a strange combination of awe, happiness, and excitement. Probably because she was pretty sure he was currently looking her up and down.  
  
Lauren approached Sirius slowly, a smile playing at her lips. His expression was so ridiculous.  
  
When she reached him, she said, "Imagine this. Sirius Black, speechless. I never thought I'd live to see the day..."  
  
Sirius swallowed hard, then managed, "Wow. You. Look. Amazing."  
  
Lauren blushed, but looked right back at him and said, "You don't look half bad yourself." Inwardly, she thought, 'I really ought to thank Madame Divine for this dress.'  
  
"Would you care to dance?" Sirius asked as he took out his wand and pointed it at a small black box sitting on the table next to him, muttering a spell.  
  
"Definitely," said Lauren as she stepped closer to him.  
  
Their hands met in midair, and Sirius placed his hand on her waist. Lauren was about to rest hers on his shoulder, but before she could stop herself, she softly touched his cheek with her fingertips. Lauren closed her eyes. She had really missed him.  
  
Sirius closed his eyes at her touch. Then he grinned as he slid his hand down to her...erm, cheek as well.  
  
He laughed as her eyes popped open. 'His hand is on my bum!' she thought furiously.  
  
"What do you think you're doing? Remove your hand this instant!"  
  
"You started it. I won't move it until you're in the proper dancing position," he teased.  
  
Lauren narrowed her eyes, thinking about giving him a slap in the face. Then she decided against it, since he would probably consider that an invitation to do the same to the place where his hand was currently resting. She moved her hand quite quickly to his shoulder and looked up at Sirius expectantly.  
  
Sirius hesitated, but moved his hand back up to her waist, fast as lightning, once Lauren glared at him and pressed the heel of her shoe into his foot.  
  
They started dancing across the room, moving in perfect time with the music. It was as if they had been dancing together their whole lives, which was partly true.  
  
Soon they started talking about the balls that had perturbed Sirius so much when they were children. As much as he hated to admit it, recalling the memories had very much changed his opinion of them. 'They weren't that bad,' he speculated.  
  
Then he felt Lauren let go of his hand. He frowned, but then smiled when she wrapped both arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest. He put his other hand on her waist, holding her as closely as possible.  
  
Suddenly, a particularly vivid memory came to his mind. He wondered if she remembered it.  
  
"Remember that one time when we tried to imitate the couples doing the tango?" Sirius asked, laughing.  
  
"Yeah, I remember. You were trying to be so debonair."  
  
"And you were trying to be sexy..."  
  
"Er, trying?" Lauren had stopped moving.  
  
"That's what I said, isn't it?" Sirius' eyes were twinkling. He was quite amused by her reaction to his comment.  
  
"Are you saying that I'm not sexy?" Lauren removed her arms from around his neck and placed them indignantly on her hips.  
  
"Maybe," Sirius said, shrugging his shoulders and trying not to laugh at her. He wanted to see where this was going. Lauren was eyeing him warily, as if she was deciding something. He heard her mutter, "Challenge..."  
  
Sirius' eyes popped open in shock as he felt her run her hands slowly down his chest. 'Whoa,' he thought, floored.  
  
Then he watched as she turned around, placed her palms on the outside of his thighs, and slid her body down his, moving to the beat of the music. His jaw dropped open at the contact and her forwardness.  
  
She turned back around to face him, a triumphant gleam in her eye as she brought her hand up to close his mouth, since it was still gaping open.  
  
At her touch, he remembered that she had said that he was trying to be debonair. Feeling he had something to prove as well, he put his arms around her waist and dipped her as low as possible, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.  
  
Then he felt her sliding one of her legs along the back of his right leg. He'd had enough.  
  
He raised her back to an upright position. With his hands firmly gripping her waist, he easily picked her up and sat her on one of the many tables that stood by the telescopes.  
  
He smiled at Lauren. The tables were tall, so now they were the same height. He kissed her again, then trailed kisses across her cheek and down to her neck. She moaned in response.  
  
Then she leaned forward and breathed into his ear, "You're cheating. How am I supposed to be sexy when you're distracting me?"  
  
And then, he felt her nibble on his earlobe. A shiver ran down his spine. He wanted to kiss her...NOW.  
  
He turned his head and gave her a crushing kiss. Then he felt her tongue running along his lower lip for a split second. He tried to use his tongue to force entry into her mouth, but she wouldn't let him.  
  
He almost growled out of frustration. He knew she wasn't going to give in. She was determined to prove something to him, and Lauren Walker never did anything halfheartedly. So he decided to return to nuzzling her neck.  
  
Meanwhile, Lauren had started to unbutton his shirt. Apparently it was easier said than done, because it seemed that it was taking her a while.  
  
Sirius brought his head back up. He really wanted to rip off the damn shirt himself, but he fought the urge to do so and looked at her.  
  
Lauren was biting her lip in concentration as she fumbled with the buttons. 'Now that's sexy,' he admitted silently. He decided to wait patiently, just watching her.  
  
When she was finally done, she raised her head and looked him in the eyes, as if asking him if it was okay. He nodded. He didn't think he had ever been more okay with anything in his whole life.  
  
Lauren brought her hands up to Sirius' neck, then slid her hands under his shirt. She slowly peeled it off of him as she ran her hands down his arms.  
  
"You know, Black, Quidditch has really done you good," she murmured.  
  
He laughed, and she watched as his taut abs danced in response. She gingerly ran her fingertips over the muscles.  
  
Then he cupped her face in his hands, kissing her softly.  
  
Lauren figured she had proved her point by now, so when she felt his tongue running across the seam between her lips, she opened her mouth. She reveled in the feeling as he explored her mouth, then decided to take her own tour...  
  
Sirius suddenly snapped back to reality when he noticed that his hands, which had been roaming all over Lauren for the past several minutes, were currently sliding up her thighs, pulling her dress along with them. He didn't want to stop, but...  
  
He pulled his lips away from hers. Lauren looked back at him, confused.  
  
He took a deep breath. "If we don't stop now, I don't know if I'll be able to later," he explained.  
  
Her eyes opened wide in understanding. She nodded and put her arms around his neck. He reluctantly moved his hands to her waist, and lowered her from the table.  
  
They walked hand in hand down from the tower. Neither of them said a word, as both were recalling their romantic evening.  
  
When they reached the entrance to the Ravenclaw dormitory, Sirius slowly let go of her hand, then kissed her on the forehead.  
  
When he looked back down at her, she was looking up at him, a questioning look on her face. He wondered what she wanted to ask him.  
  
"I was thinking," she said, "about what you said back there, about not be able to...stop. Does that mean you haven't..."  
  
Sirius was slightly embarrassed by this question. He knew that she had heard the rumors. However, he looked her straight in the eyes as he stated, "No, I haven't." And despite the fact that he was a seventeen year old boy, he was happy about it.  
  
Especially when her eyes lit up at his response.  
  
He leaned down and murmured, "Just so you know, I think you're the sexiest, most incredible woman on the planet."  
  
She blushed and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him lightly on the cheek. Then she whispered into his ear, "I know you do."  
  
Then she turned around and gave the password. As she walked in the entrance, she looked over her shoulder at him. He swore he saw her wink as the door closed.  
  
He walked dazedly to the Gryffindor common room, climbed the steps, walked into the room, and collapsed onto his bed without even looking at his roommates.  
  
He heard James ask amusedly, "Have a nice time, Padfoot?"  
  
"You have no idea."  
  
A few minutes later, Sirius sat up, facing James. "I—I think I'm in love with her, mate." Sirius was expecting a large outburst of laughter. His friends disappointed him though.  
  
"Really? We couldn't tell," Remus called sarcastically from across the room.  
  
He faced his other friend. "That obvious, huh?"  
  
"Almost as obvious as the fact that Prongs is madly in love with Evans," Remus said, glancing over at James, who opened his mouth to retort, but closed it again (Sirius noticed he'd been doing that a lot recently).  
  
The look on James' face made Sirius crack up. Then they all started laughing hysterically.


	8. Distractions

**Siriusly Deluded  
**  
Again, thank you to my reviewers:  
  
Doodleflip: Thanks, and welcome to my story!  
  
lyria1: Thank you so much. I wuv them too, hehe.  
  
BlackWiltedRose: Thank you! It's cool to know that this story inspired you to write!  
  
Padfootz-luvr: I love your enthusiasm. Still scared a little by it, though...Thanks for reading !  
  
magid bond: Thanks! Don't worry, I've already written a lot of this story, and James and Lily are definitely in it more.  
  
Anne-Evans89: Don't we all wish that there was a guy like Sirius nearby?  
  
**Ch. 8: Distractions  
**  
Weeks later, Lauren was walking around the Hogwart's grounds very early in the morning. She had tried to sleep, but just kept on waking up every few hours. Even counting hippogriffs in her head didn't work. So she had pulled on a cloak over her light dressing robe and her pajamas and went outside, hoping to clear her head. She was quite lucky that it was a really warm day for late October.  
  
Lauren's thoughts immediately concentrated on Sirius when she caught sight of the lake glimmering softly in the faint light.  
  
He had been missing the whole weekend. For a second she wondered if he was with some girl, living up to his reputation. Then she shook her head. She knew he'd never do that to her.  
  
She paced a little more, walking close to the Forbidden Forest. She was about to turn around to walk the other way when something caught her eye.  
  
There, among the trees, two huge eyes were staring back at her. She blinked, shaking her head. When she looked back at the trees, the eyes weren't there anymore.  
  
Instead, a huge black creature was bounding straight towards her. Lauren froze on the spot. She scolded herself to move, but she couldn't. All she could do was squeeze her eyes shut, waiting to be mauled.  
  
She was winded as she was knocked to the ground. Once she caught her breath, she opened her mouth to scream, but she stopped the sound when she realized that the animal wasn't attacking her. Rather, it was...licking her? She opened her eyes slowly. Instead of what she had assumed to be a large black dog, Sirius was staring back at her, grinning madly.  
  
"Sirius, what the hell are you doing?" she asked loudly.  
  
"What? Didn't I tell you I was an Animagus?" he asked with mock surprise. He looked down at her. 'She looks really cute when she's angry,' he noted.  
  
"You're a what?" she practically yelled.  
  
"It means I can—"  
  
"I know what it means, you git. You scared me half to death," Lauren said, much softer this time.  
  
Sirius gave a weak grin as he moved a stray strand of hair off of her face, supporting himself with one arm. The fact that he was on top of her was definitely not lost on him.  
  
Lauren's angry expression faded away almost immediately. "I always knew you were a dog," she said finally.  
  
Then he leaned down to kiss her.  
  
From the second their lips touched, Sirius resolved to snog her until neither one of them remembered their names.  
  
Let's just say that...Sirius Black (that was his name, right?) usually accomplished whatever he put his mind to.  
  
This was no exception.  
  
When they broke apart, Lauren moved to roll off of Sirius. However, he held onto her tightly. Instead, she wriggled down a little bit and rested her head on his chest. She finally felt like she might be able to get some sleep. She listened to Sirius' heartbeat return to a normal pace and reveled in the feeling of him drawing circles on her back with his fingertips until she drifted off.  
  
Sirius was quite tired from his weekend adventures, and after a while, he fell asleep as well.  
  
When Lauren woke up around noon, she lay there for a while, listening to steady rhythm of Sirius' heart. Soon she started thinking about what had happened earlier that morning. She wondered what had made Sirius want to put in all the effort she knew it took to become an Animagus. She resolved to ask him, just once. If he didn't want to answer her, that was fine. She didn't need (and maybe didn't want) to know everything about his life.  
  
After a couple minutes, Sirius stirred beneath her. "Good morning," Lauren said softly. He wrapped his arms around her, sitting up with Lauren in his lap.  
  
"I missed you," he murmured sleepily.  
  
Lauren smiled, but then looked at him resolutely as she said, "Sirius, could I ask you something?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Well, I was wondering why you became an Animagus. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she added quickly.  
  
Sirius looked at her, all signs of weariness gone from his eyes as he answered, "I do want to tell you, Lauren, but it involves more than just us. It's complicated."  
  
Lauren nodded as she said firmly, "I understand. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."  
  
"I knew you wouldn't."  
  
Sirius smiled at her as he lifted her off of him and pulled himself up. He offered his hands to her, and she took them. He pulled her up from the ground and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.  
  
"So what do you want to do today?" he asked as they started walking back towards the school.  
  
"Actually, I have quite a bit of studying to do," Lauren replied. "You want to come to the library with me?"  
  
"Er, the library?" Sirius asked doubtfully.  
  
"You do know where it is, right?" Lauren joked.  
  
"Of course I do. It's..." Sirius trailed off as he decided he should stop pretending he knew where it was. Remus had been in charge of the library portion of the Marauder's Map. It wasn't exactly somewhere that Sirius found exciting.  
  
Lauren laughed and said, "Come on."  
  
After stopping at their respective dormitories to pick up their study materials (and a few times in the hallways for stolen kisses) the pair started towards the library. The closer they got to it, the more disoriented Sirius appeared.  
  
When Lauren stopped in front of a large door, Sirius jumped in front of her, grabbing the handle to open it for her. She smiled as she walked through, leading the way to the flobberworm section.  
  
Sirius looked around, impressed and overwhelmed at the size of the room. As it was a Saturday afternoon, few people were in the library. None of the people who were there bothered to look up as they passed by.  
  
Lauren looked at him with amusement. "I can't believe you've never been here before. How do you get such high marks?" she marveled.  
  
"I have my ways," Sirius replied with a smirk. Lauren raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Actually, I just borrow the books from Remus," he said seriously.  
  
Lauren laughed quietly, stopping in front of her table. Sirius put their bags down and sat, pulling a chair out for her.  
  
Lauren took her seat, and started pulling her notes out of her bag. Sirius, however, wasn't making any attempt to take out his stuff, she noticed. She could feel his eyes watching her.  
  
Sirius watched as Lauren settled herself, getting all of her papers and quills out. He didn't think it possible that a girl could be sexy while studying, but it was happening right before his very eyes. He reached his hand towards her chair.  
  
Lauren felt his hand on her leg, sliding up and down her thigh. She gasped quietly, dropping the quill she had just picked up.  
  
She turned to look at Sirius, planning on reminding him that they were in a library. That thought flew out of her head immediately, because Sirius had already leaned forward in his chair. His lips brushed against hers gently.  
  
It's needless to say that not much studying occurred in the library that day... 


	9. Reactions

> **Siriusly Deluded**
> 
> And here we go again, thank you to all my reviewers:
> 
> Angela: Sorry 'bout that. Thanks so much for all your help!
> 
> lelegurl9: Thank you for both reviews!
> 
> Failte: Wow. Thank you so much for your review. I smiled so much when I read it. I hope you like the rest of my story!
> 
> Padfootz-luvr: Thanks! Yeah, I guess sometimes it's better if you have to use your imagination, especially in regards to Sirius, right?
> 
> Anne-Evans89: Thank you! Speaking of which, maybe I should change Lauren to my name...;)
> 
> Padfoot-rulz011: Yeah, I love animals too. But I agree, Sirius would look way better in human form!
> 
> BlackWiltedRose: Thank you again! Yeah, he likes to take her by surprise!
> 
> **Ch. 9: Reactions**  
  
One afternoon in mid-November, Lauren's roommates were in the seventh year girls' dormitory of the Ravenclaw wing. Robin, as usual, was gossiping. Karen was trying not to listen as she proofread her History of Magic essay. She hated it when girls talked about each other behind their backs. It was so vindictive and catty. Didn't they realize that they were only thinly veiling their obvious jealousy? Luckily they were only talking about cute boys at the moment.  
  
She started listening with rapt attention when the subject turned to Sirius Black. Robin was going on about how sexy his grin was, how sparkly his eyes were, how fine his body was...yada, yada, yada. She knew all that. She wasn't blind. All of the Marauders were quite attractive...well, with the exception of Peter. He was just weird. Potter had that intelligent yet athletic sexy thing going on. But he really knew how to be a jerk. Karen did notice that he had become much more bearable lately. And Remus...well, he was just Remus: a total sweetheart. But Karen was not one to dwell on the obvious. Plus, she had known that Sirius and Lauren belonged together since her friends' reaction to the rumors third year.  
  
Rowan, a tall, thin auburn haired girl, suddenly turned to her and asked, "Hey Karen, did I see Sirius Black kissing Lauren at the window a couple weeks ago? Or was I dreaming?" with her heavy Scottish accent.  
  
Karen saw Robin's eyes grow as big and round as saucers.  
  
"I'm afraid to know what your real dreams are like if you think you had one about Black kissing another girl," she replied wryly, turning back to her paper.  
  
"What?! So that wasn't a dream?" Robin sputtered. Rowan even looked slightly surprised.  
  
Karen didn't even blink an eye.  
  
"Wow, I didn't know that Lauren was such a slut. Those are the only type of girls that Sirius Black dates, you know," Robin said with more than a slight twinge of jealously and menace in her voice.  
  
"Well, I don't think—" Rowan started in a disapproving tone.  
  
She was cut off by a fuming Karen, who screamed, "Just because he never asked you out doesn't mean that he only dates whores!" Karen hadn't been this angry in a long time. It wasn't so much that Robin had said that. It was the fact that she had probably just voiced the opinion of 99% percent of the school once news got out about Lauren and Sirius. She did not want her friend to get hurt by a bunch of brainless gossipers, spreading rumors that weren't true. And...well, the comment really offended her, too. Her reaction wasn't all out of sympathy. Third year, she went out on one date with Sirius. She was such a stupid little fan-girl back then, thinking her life would be perfect if only she was dating one of the most popular boys in the school. But, after being with him for about half an hour, she knew that something was wrong with him. Like part of him was missing. Well, after she had gotten over the pain of that shattered crush, that is. She wasn't completely devoid of emotion. Add that to Lauren's poorly hidden feelings towards him...she was pretty sure what that last piece of the puzzle was.  
  
Rowan's eyes grew wide. She did not like what was going on at all. Karen and Robin had never gotten along, but they managed to hide it pretty well, mainly by steering clear of each other. But now, she was pretty sure the Slytherins in the dungeons had heard Karen's response.  
  
A tense silence filled the air for several minutes.  
  
Then Lauren suddenly burst into the dormitory. She was completely tired out from double Potions in the dungeons. She dragged herself over to her bed, throwing her bag down on the ground beside it. Then she looked around the room. Something really strange was going on in there. All the girls were avoiding her gaze, quite obviously on purpose. She hoped they hadn't been talking about her...What was going on?  
  
She lowered herself slowly onto her bed, staring pointedly at Karen the whole time. But then Rowan spoke from across the room.  
  
"Er, Lauren," she started. "Are you—"  
  
She was cut off by Robin, demanding in a bitter tone, "Did you go out with Sirius Black?"  
  
Lauren was surprised by her roommate's question, so much so that she barely noticed they way it was asked. She really hadn't done anything with him publicly. Well, it wasn't like they snuck around. It just happened that whenever they spent time together, it was just the two of them.  
  
"Yes," she stated slowly, taking a quick glance over at Karen, who was shooting daggers at Robin. This was really weird.  
  
"When?" Robin demanded again.  
  
"Uh, what do you mean? We've been together for about a month, I guess."  
  
"Are you kidding?" Robin asked mockingly.  
  
Lauren was offended. Was it that hard to believe that she was dating Sirius?  
  
"Of course she's not kidding," Karen snapped.  
  
"Well, Sirius doesn't do that. He only goes on one date with a girl, then the next time, it's someone new."  
  
Lauren didn't know what to say to that. That was exactly what he had done...before her. But she didn't want to tell Robin what Sirius had said to her in the Room of Requirement. It was none of her business.  
  
"Well, Lauren's not just a girl. She's Lauren, our roommate. And you're happy for her, aren't you Robin?" Karen said bitingly.  
  
"Y—yes," Robin stuttered. She was scared that Karen would have another outburst. She thought she was lucky to not have been strangled earlier.  
  
Lauren looked over at Karen, knitting her brows. What happened in there before she came in?  
  
Karen made eye contact with her. Lauren cocked her head to the side, silently asking the question. Karen rolled her eyes in Robin's direction, motioning that she shouldn't worry about it. Lauren hesitated. She wished that Robin would have just asked, instead of accosting her the way she did. Realizing that Karen had probably prevented the inquisition from being worse, but then smiled appreciatively at Karen.  
  
The next day, a blustery and cold Saturday, was the Quidditch game between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. No one doubted the outcome of the game. James was one of the best Seekers the school had ever had. Sirius was a very aggressive Beater. Lauren knew where all that pent up anger stemmed from. She was glad he had an outlet for it. He would probably be a very different person if he didn't spend some time whacking flying objects around. The other Gryffindor players were also quite talented. The team was highly favored to win the Cup that year, especially as they had so for the past three.  
  
Lauren had attended few games over her years at Hogwart's, mainly because the Ravenclaw team was nothing to write home about. However, sometimes her friends had been able to convince her to go to a game. It took her a while, but she usually got into them.  
  
She walked towards the entrance of the Great Hall, where she was supposed to meet Lily, Remus, and Peter. She still felt horrible about standing in the Gryffindor section instead of her own house's. But at least they weren't playing each other. Nevertheless, she was wearing her plain black robe, refusing to openly support any house.  
  
When she reached the Gryffindors, she smiled shyly. She still wasn't completely comfortable with them. It took her a really long time to open up to people, to be able to be herself around them. But there was something about Remus...like he knew what she was thinking. It kind of freaked her out since she knew so little about him, yet she thought it was nice at the same time. And Lily was really easy to talk to. But at least they had been fellow prefects for the past few years. She didn't even know Peter at all, but she got a weird feeling around him. She couldn't place it though...  
  
"Hey guys," she said.  
  
A chorus of hellos greeted her back.  
  
"Shall we?" Remus asked wryly.  
  
"We shall," Lauren and Lily both replied at the same time, laughing as they linked up on either side of Remus.  
  
"Come on, Peter," Lauren said, offering her arm to the pudgy boy. He eagerly accepted it and began the long trek to the field with the rest of the gigantic crowd.  
  
Lauren stood between Remus and Lily during the game, which only lasted about thirty minutes. Not to mention the points James earned by catching the Snitch, Gryffindor totally trampled the Hufflepuff team.  
  
After the match, Sirius ran up to Lauren. Lauren surprised even herself when she jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. "Can I get a victory kiss?" he asked, grinning furiously. "I suppose..." she trailed off as she leaned in to give Sirius a quick kiss. Afterwards, they gazed into each other's eyes, unaware of everything around them until they heard the distinct sound of a voice being cleared.  
  
"Mr. Black, will you please put Ms. Walker back on the ground?" Professor Dumbledore asked amusedly. Lauren blushed as Sirius lowered her to the ground.  
  
Lauren could swear she saw the twinge of a smile in the corner of the Transfiguration professor's mouth as he walked away, shaking his head.  
  
Afterwards, there was a huge victory party in the Gryffindor common room. Even though it was practically unheard of for students of other houses to come, Lily and James insisted that Lauren attend. She guessed it would be alright. If the Head Students didn't have a problem with it, neither should anyone else.  
  
During the beginning of the party, Lauren felt extremely uncomfortable. It was a strange, unsettling feeling, being around a group of people who knew each other so well. Not to mention the less than friendly looks she was getting from many Gryffindors, all girls of course. Apparently they were not very happy about losing their favorite flirting partner. She tried to ignore them as she talked to Remus, whom she had decided she liked the most out of all Sirius' friends. She thought Sirius was off somewhere with the rest of the team; it was too crowded to see across the room. Lily and James were sitting not too far away near the fireplace, seemingly completely oblivious to the throng of people surrounding them. They were so cute together. She hoped they'd realized how perfect they were for each other...until she saw James lean in to kiss Lily softly. She smiled. She couldn't be sure, but that didn't look like a first kiss...  
  
After what seemed like eons (but was probably only ten minutes) to Lauren, Sirius returned with two butterbeers in hand. She smiled. Butterbeer was her favorite drink.  
  
Sirius noticed that a lot of the Gryffindor guys were checking out Lauren. Sure, all of them were younger than him, but he didn't like it one bit. His reaction surprised him. He had never been jealous before. But then again, he had never been in love with a girl before either. He hadn't told her that yet, of course. It was too soon. When he told her that, it was going to be at a time that she wouldn't doubt its reality. It would take enough of his Gryffindor courage to do it, and it wouldn't do for her to not believe him when he finally did.  
  
"Hey, stranger," he said as he handed her the drink. Then he quickly put his arm around her waist, holding her possessively.  
  
"Thank you," Lauren replied with a smirk. He had never done that before. It was so obvious that he was jealous. Strangely, she didn't mind. She always thought she would if a guy was possessive with her. But with Sirius it was different. It felt like he was protecting her instead of obstructing her. "I assume Moony kept you company while I was away," Sirius said with a grin. "I apologize."  
  
"Hey!" Remus said, looking slightly offended.  
  
"Aw, you know I didn't mean it like that," Sirius said as he turned to Remus.  
  
"Yes, you did, but we should be thanking you for taking a shower," Remus said with a smirk.  
  
"Okay, I did. But will you forgive me?" Lauren rolled her eyes as Sirius used the pout on Remus, who sighed resignedly. She laughed.  
  
"It's good to know that I'm not the only one who falls for that," she said teasingly to Remus.  
  
"I know. You'd think I'd be immune to it after all these years. But the dolt really knows how to get what he wants," Remus replied.  
  
They both laughed at Sirius' insulted expression. This time he turned the pout on Lauren.  
  
"Oh, hush," Lauren said, hitting him lightly on the arm.  
  
"I didn't say a word," Sirius murmured into her ear.  
  
"I think that's my cue to leave," Remus said with a grin as he turned to walk away.  
  
Suddenly, loud music started blasting from across the room. The volume was turned up so loud that Lauren could feel the music reverberating inside of her.  
  
"Come on, let's dance," Sirius yelled into her ear. Well, at least that's what Lauren assumed he'd said. She could barely hear over the deafening music.  
  
Lauren hesitated, looking down at the ground. Sure, she was okay with dancing at balls. Give her choreography, and she was happy. She had learned the steps at such an early age that they were like second nature to her. And with Sirius up in the Astronomy Tower, everything felt so natural. But, here, at this exclusive Gryffindor party, she wasn't sure. She thought she'd almost prefer flying.  
  
She looked back up at Sirius. He must have said "Please," because his expression was one she knew all too well. She sighed and took his outstretched hand as he led her out onto the makeshift dance floor.  
  
"Of course he wants to dance in the middle of everyone," Lauren thought when Sirius stopped. He smiled at her and started moving to the beat of the music. Those people at the balls had been right about him. He really was a good dancer, totally comfortable with himself.  
  
Sirius was glad that someone finally had the sense to play some music. He had a lot of extra energy. He was always like this after Quidditch matches. Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was smashing around the Blacks, er...the Bludgers, he meant. But he didn't want to think about that. Sirius smiled when Lauren slowly eased into dancing. She was so cute. Every movement she made was small, just like her. He moved closer, placing his hands loosely on her hips.  
  
They stayed like that for a little while, moving in sync. But suddenly someone's shoulder rammed into Lauren, slamming her forward into Sirius' chest. Sirius caught her easily, holding onto her arms to steady her. He gazed down into her eyes. She looked a little bewildered.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked with as much concern as he could at the volume level he was forced to speak at.  
  
Lauren nodded. Then she surprised herself again by wrapping her arms around Sirius' neck, not moving back an inch. Sirius responded quickly, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist and pulling her as close as possible.  
  
Lauren could hear Sirius' heart racing from where her head was resting on his chest. It had a rhythm entirely it's own. She convinced herself that it was the reason she couldn't pull away. She buried her hands in his hair.  
  
Until that point, Sirius had just planned on dancing innocently with her. He knew she was a little wary about public displays of affection. But the game had gone too well, the music was too loud, and she was just too damn close. All his predispositions flew out the window. His hands started uninhibitedly moving up and down all over her backside.  
  
Lauren bit back a moan as she felt Sirius' hands on her back. They were so warm; she could feel his touch burning through her clothes. And their bodies were pressed flush against each other. She didn't even want to think about that. Up in the astronomy tower it had been different, a lot more playful. But this was so...blatantly sensual. It was too much for her to handle. She needed to distract him. She pulled his head down, kissing him with more passion than she ever had.  
  
Sirius' eyes flew open. She'd never kissed him like that before...not that he was complaining. He closed his eyes as he became accustomed to it, gripping her waist firmly.  
  
The song ended. There were a few seconds of silence before the next one started. Well, at least there should have been. A fifth-year boy nearby caught sight of the couple and started catcalling appreciatively. Pretty soon everyone in the room was staring at them.  
  
Sirius didn't hear any of it. Lauren, however, noticed that her eardrums weren't pulsating with pain anymore. And then she heard it—absolute silence. She broke away from Sirius quickly, leaving him open-mouthed and confused. Lauren blushed furiously. She buried her face in Sirius' chest, afraid to look at anyone out of fear that she would start crying out of embarrassment.  
  
The next song started up, a slow one. People gradually returned to the way they were before, dancing and laughing and goofing around. Once he felt it safe, Sirius used a hand to tilt Lauren's face up to his. She opened her eyes slowly, giving him a weak smile. She had been squeezing her eyes shut, trying to block out all of the intruding stares.  
  
"Do you want to leave?" he asked anxiously.  
  
She simply nodded slowly.  
  
He took her hand again, leading her through the crowd and out the portrait hole. Then he stopped, enveloping her in a comforting hug.  
  
Lauren felt like sobbing into his shoulder. She had never been so embarrassed in her life. But she held back her tears. "You don't have to leave the party. It's for you," she said firmly.  
  
"Yes, I do. And I want to. There's no point in going back if you're not there," he said gently.  
  
She gave another weak smile as she slipped her hand into his.  
  
He grasped her hand, squeezing it reassuringly as he led her down the hallway. He wasn't sure what to say to her. He wasn't sure if he should say anything to her. 'That was probably horrifying for her,' he thought. Most students didn't know that much about her. Probably just that she was a seventh year Ravenclaw, a prefect, really smart, quiet, and damn hot. Well, that last part was mainly him, but people would be stupid to not see how beautiful she was. After thinking about it, he figured he was glad that most people were stupid. Maybe she'd be with someone else instead of him.  
  
He planned on leading her back to the Ravenclaw dormitory, but changed his mind. He needed to do something to make it up to her. She went to his game and his party, where everyone had managed to embarrass her tremendously. His thoughts turned to the Room of Requirement and he made a sudden turn in the hallway. He started thinking hard about what he wanted to be there—something that would make her feel comfortable.  
  
Meanwhile, Lauren was trying not to replay the recent events over and over again in her mind. She tended to do that when something bad happened. It was not a good habit of hers. She really wanted to go back to her dorm and do some homework. At least that would take her mind off of it. But then Sirius made a sharp turn down a corridor, leading her away from her dorm. The path looked vaguely familiar. It took her a while to realize where he was going: the Room of Requirement. Lauren was wary about going there again. She really wasn't in the mood to make-out. That's why they'd left the party in the first place. But her heart did a little flip when he opened the door and she looked inside the room.  
  
There was a large, plush couch and a small table. On the table sat a tea set and a plate of scones. Sirius let go of her hand slowly. They walked over to the couch, sitting in silence for a few minutes.  
  
Then Lauren slowly stood up. She walked over to Sirius, who looked up at her questioningly. She cautiously sat on the arm of the sofa. Then Sirius realized why she had come over there. He put his hands around her waist, pulling her into his lap. She kissed him on the cheek before she snuggled into him, her face by his neck. He sighed contentedly as he played with her hair and ran his fingers soothingly over her arm.


	10. Invitations

**Siriusly Deluded**

Yay! Thank you reviewers:

magid bond: Thank you. I can't help but write fluff, so we're good, right?

Padfootz-luvr: I saw Harry Potter in the IMAX a couple weeks ago. It was pretty awesome. Not a big fan of Tom Felton, though. I'm not allowed to be, since he's younger than my little sister.

cinderella200: Thank you so much! It's good to know that it's believeable that he would go for a good girl like her!

Anne-Evans89: Thanks. And don't worry, we all find ourselves humming along with a Britney Spears song at some point. Half of the people on my college campus had "Toxic" blasting out their car steroes this year. I swear that song has subliminal messages in it!

lelegurl9: Yeah, Robin definitely deserved it, and she probably should have got more! But anyway, thanks!

Ilara Zadlo: Thanks! I hope i can keep it interesting, and it'll definitely be getting more mature ;)

Mary Lennox: What? I value your comments and suggestions, otherwise I wouldn't send it to ya! Thanks again!

> **Ch. 10: Invitations**  
  
Weeks later, Lauren and Sirius were sitting on a table in the Great Hall, staring into the dying embers of the fire. Lauren, Remus, James, and Lily had all been assigned (along with the other prefects) the task of decorating the hall for Christmas. Not wanting to be left out, Sirius and Peter had come along to "help" them. They had been in there all day, hanging ornaments on the trees, wreaths on the doors, and garland along the tables.  
  
Over the past few weeks, Lauren had been spending more time with Sirius and his friends. She and Lily, who had been officially dating James for a while, had also become quite close. The Monday after the Gryffindor party was not fun for Lauren. She was on the receiving end of many unfriendly stares. In classes, she could hear people talking about her, as if she wasn't even there. She tried to ignore it, but it was really hard. However, whenever she felt like she couldn't take it anymore, one of the Marauders would offer a friendly gesture, like a smile or a wink.  
  
The Marauders, as usual, had managed to make what could have been a menial task quite enjoyable. For most of the day, there had been mainly laughing and little working. Yet, once the four boys had been split up by Professor Flitwick, a problem still remained.  
  
Sirius, who had decided many years ago that he preferred muggle music, mainly to annoy his parents, knew just about every Christmas song ever written. Apparently, he taught the Marauders quite a few of them.  
  
Every ten minutes or so, one of them would randomly break into song. And from each respective spot in the room, the other Marauders would join in, belting the lyrics at the top of their lungs.  
  
Lauren couldn't help but smile every time that happened. Sirius had a nice singing voice and all, but she was very glad that he backed away from her while chiming in. She didn't really want a busted ear drum. After a while, Sirius would drop his voice a few hundred decibels and step closer to her, singing softly in her ear.  
  
Lauren smiled, and tried to hum along or sing the occasional phrase (she didn't remember many of the words from when he taught her) when she saw Sirius looking at her with his infamous puppy-dog eyes.  
  
After a while, the boys got weary of singing. Lauren wondered how they didn't lose their voices. With little entertainment from the Marauders, people gradually started leaving the Great Hall. Lily and James snuck off to Merlin-knows-where. Remus, who Lauren noticed had been looking exhausted all day, had tramped off to the Gryffindor dormitories. Peter had scampered after a rather disgusted sixth year Hufflepuff. Soon the rest of the students emptied the Great Hall, leaving Sirius and Lauren alone.  
  
Without a word, Lauren took Sirius' hand and began to pull him across the huge room. He was confused, but he followed her lead. When Lauren reached the far table, she sat down, directly in front of the fireplace. Sirius sighed at sat down next to her, as closely as possible. He wondered what was going on, but he didn't press the issue at first.  
  
After waiting a while, he nudged her gently with his shoulder, smiling at her. When she turned her head and smiled back, he offered softly, "Galleon for your thoughts."  
  
Lauren smiled again. Then she said quietly, "I was going to ask you something, but I wasn't sure if I should."  
  
"Try me," Sirius replied gently.  
  
"Well...my parents are throwing this Christmas Ball...And I was wondering if you wanted to stay with us for the holidays and go to the ball...You don't have to if you don't want. I mean, I don't expect you to—"  
  
"What are you going on about?" Sirius asked laughingly.  
  
"I knew I shouldn't have asked," Lauren faltered, looking down.  
  
Sirius used his hand to lift her chin up so she was looking at him. "Of course I'll come," he murmured softly.  
  
Her eyes lit up. "Really?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah. Besides, if you hadn't invited me, I probably would have ended up in your fireplace anyway," he said.  
  
Lauren grinned and said, "Who said I didn't keep it closed to keep out hooligans like you?" She struggled to keep a straight face when she used the word "hooligan."  
  
Sirius smirked. Then he joked, "Then I guess I'll just have to apparate right into your bed for you to unwrap on Christmas morning."  
  
Lauren swatted him on the arm, but then smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. He grabbed her hand, lacing his fingers into hers. They sat there for a while, saying nothing.  
  
"I'll come on one condition," Sirius said, breaking the silence.  
  
"Hmm," Lauren replied sleepily.  
  
"You have to come visit me," he bargained.  
  
"At your flat?" she asked, slightly more awake. After staying the summer at the Potters, Sirius had rented his own apartment right before seventh year started. He didn't want to wear out his welcome with his "second" family. Mrs. Potter had always been more like a mother to him than his own, and he and James fully believed that they were brothers.  
  
"Yeah," he answered, looking down at her.  
  
"It's a deal," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. But then she squeezed his hand and tilted her face to look up at him. Then she brushed the back of her free hand across his forehead, pushing the hair out of his eyes.  
  
He smiled and grabbed her other hand. He stood up and pulled her along with him, walking swiftly until he stopped suddenly. Then, with a grin on his face, he lifted his gaze to the ceiling.  
  
Lauren looked up to see what he was looking at. She smiled too when she saw the mistletoe suspended above them. She stepped up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.  
  
"Happy Christmas," she whispered softly before she was silenced by his lips.


	11. Dispositions

Siriusly Deluded  
  
Thank you reviewers:  
  
Failte: Thank you! You flatter me too much. I actually think I'm not so great at the dialogue. I'm an introverted person, so I tend to write in thoughts instead. But I'm trying...  
  
Padfootz-luvr: Thanks, and...we were both wrong. Tom Felton is 16 and exactly 2 months and 1 day older than my sister. But according to her I'm still not allowed to think he's hot.  
  
Anne-Evans89: Yes, Sirius is indeed a hooligan :)

lyria1: Thank you so much. I'll try not to let you get bored. Oh, and thanks for the cake, too!  
  
lelegurl: Strange that you would say that...since I finally let my sister read it and she says that it is completely unrealistic :( Thank you for the encouragement that she doesn't give me!  
  
magid bond: Thank you! You are too kind!

Padmez: Thank you for your reviews and recommendation! I know what you mean about the over-abundance of Sirius slash. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story as well!  
  
Weasy: Thanks for your review!  
  
Ch. 11: Dispositions  
  
Lauren let out a huge breath of relief as she shoved her trunk closed and locked it. She had been packing her belongings for Christmas Break for the past hour. It was weird. She made a checklist of all the things she needed to bring a week in advance, but waited until the last minute to actually gather it. 'Well,' she thought, 'I still have forty-five minutes until I'm supposed to meet Sirius.'  
  
She turned around and observed her roommates. Robin, their resident gossiper and swooner, was staying over the holidays. She was currently perusing a teen fashion magazine. 'Big surprise there,' Lauren thought. Alison, a bookish girl with long mousy brown hair, was also staying. She was reading too, but something much more substantial than the latest issue of "Young and Magical"—Hogwart's, A History, in fact. Rowan was going home, but she lived in Edinburgh, so she couldn't go to the Walker's ball. She was unsuccessfully trying to close the lid of her trunk. Lauren walked over to her. "Need some help?" she asked, smiling up at the girl. "Sure," Rowan said, shaking her head regretfully. "I always seem to pack too much." Lauren and Rowan struggled with the overstuffed trunk for a few minutes, but finally managed to cram it shut.  
  
"You ready Lauren?" Karen called from the doorway. "Have a good holiday," Lauren said as she hugged Rowan goodbye before turning to face her friend. She pulled out her wand and, pointing it at her trunk, said, "Locomotor Trunk." Then the two of them headed down the stairs, trunks in tow as they talked about their plans for the holidays. As they were boarding the train, Lauren asked Karen, "You're still coming to the ball, right?" Her friend wasn't exactly the girly-girl type. Karen rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm coming," she said with a sigh of resignation. "But, you don't mind if I sit in a different compartment, do you? You and Sirius are bad enough, but watching Potter and Evans, too? I'd hate to ruin the romantic mood by retching all over everyone," she said with a smirk. Lauren slapped her playfully on the arm, but said "Were not that bad, are we?" "Oh, no. Not at all," Karen replied as she walked away.  
  
Up in the seventh year boys' dormitory in Gryffindor tower, all hell was breaking loose. Peter, who was not going home over the break, was sleeping, his loud snores muffled by the pile of clothes that were covering him. Remus was amusedly watching James and Sirius chase each other around the...space that they had the nerves to call a bedroom. Clothes were strewn about. Pillows were on the floor. A picture of Lily Evans was stuck to the ceiling...  
  
"Sirius, I told you to get it off!" James said menacingly as he lunged towards his friend. "Come on, Prongs. It was distracting you from packing. Besides, it's not my fault that you can't remember the counter-spell," Sirius gasped out as he dodged James' catapulting body. Luckily James had jumped over a bed to get to Sirius. He landed on it forcefully, letting out a large "oof" as he hit the mattress.  
  
"I am gonna kill you for this!" James bellowed as he pulled himself up and straightened his more than slightly askew glasses.  
  
Meanwhile, Sirius had run towards Remus' bed and hopped onto it, hoping for some protection. Remus wasn't very keen on getting hit with one of James' nasty hexes. He was still tired out from the full moon last week, too.  
  
"I don't think so, Padfoot," he said as he pushed Sirius off his bed. He had already packed, unlike his unnaturally energetic friends. He glanced down at his watch. They only had fifteen minutes until the Hogwart's Express departed. However, he knew that James and Sirius wouldn't care about time limitations, so Remus used a different approach. "Besides, aren't you supposed to be meeting Lauren soon? You too, James. Lily is waiting," he said with a teasing tone.  
  
He choked back a laugh at his friends' reactions. They had both frozen mid- step, eyes wide in realization.  
  
Sirius rushed over to his trunk, hurling it open. He started picking up the mass of stuff surrounding his bed, not really bothering to see what he was throwing in his trunk. He picked up a shirt and shoved it in, sniffing before he closed the trunk. He made a face. It was definitely not clean. But he didn't really have the time to care.  
  
Meanwhile, James was doing the same, not even realizing what he was doing until he nearly tried to stuff Peter into his trunk.  
  
Five minutes later, the boys were heading out the door, James and Sirius leading the way. Suddenly James stopped, causing Sirius to run into him. Luckily, Remus was able to halt in time. Otherwise, the two boys in front of him, who were already threatening to topple down the staircase, would have suffered a nasty and embarrassing fall into the very public Gryffindor common room. "What is it, James?" he asked patiently from behind. They really needed to hurry if they were going to board the train on time. "My picture!" he whined. "Oh, Merlin," Sirius said as he pushed past Remus to get back into the room and perform the counter-spell. "You'd swear that it was the real thing, the way he acts," he muttered under his breath as he walked down the stairs to hand it to a huffy James. Remus just shook his head.  
  
The boys practically ran through the hallways of the school. Fortunately, they knew all the necessary shortcuts, and were able to make it to the last carriage to Hogsmeade. They arrived at the train mere seconds before the doors shut, the whistle blew, and it sped off towards London.  
  
Sirius stopped in front of the door to the compartment the Marauders had claimed since their first year attending Hogwart's. He smiled as he noticed Lauren reading the Daily Prophet, sitting in his usual seat. He was about to grasp the door handle when James shoved right past him, clamoring to sit next to Lily. "Merlin, Prongs! You trying to kill me or what?" he said exasperatedly, remembering the threat his friend had yelled at him as he had so gracefully slammed into the mattress of Sirius' bed. James acted as if he didn't even hear his comment... and maybe he really didn't, since he seemed much too wrapped up in Lily to notice anything else.  
  
Sirius smiled as he walked over to sit next to Lauren, who was still raptly reading the front page of the newspaper. He leaned over her shoulder to see what she was reading. Judging by the look on her face, it was neither trivial nor good news. The headline read, "More Mysterious Disappearances Baffle the Wizarding World."  
  
Lauren tried not to pay attention to Sirius' warm breath rushing past her ear. He was making it so difficult to concentrate. She sighed as she hurried to finish the disconcerting article.  
  
Sirius scanned over the paper. He was slightly surprised. These disappearances were certainly news to him. He was not one to keep up with current affairs. He had enough to keep him busy at school. Between Lauren, classes, pranking, Lauren, full moons, Quidditch, maybe a little homework, did he mention Lauren? he had his plate quite full. Not that that was unusual, either. He was definitely known for consuming unnatural amounts of food. Remus swore he had a hollow leg...or had he said head? Ah, well.  
  
Lauren carefully folded the newspaper before tucking it in between the wall and the seat. She looked out the window at the snow covered country-side. It was quite beautiful, she admitted. She hated the bitter cold of winter, but the scenery was nice. She shivered at the mere thought of the temperature outside.  
  
Sirius noticed her shiver. He hoped she wasn't scared by that article. He instinctively put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him.  
  
Lauren turned to look up at him. She smiled. "Well, hello," she said softly. "Hey...sexymuffin," he replied. Lauren gaped in disbelief. Did he really just say that to her? Sirius was supposed to have a way with the ladies, not the, er...pastries.  
  
Remus snorted from beside Sirius. "Nice one, Padfoot. Sorry, Lauren, but I think he's a little preoccupied from missing out on the mountain of food he likes to call breakfast."  
  
Lauren tried her hardest not to laugh, but tears were collected in the corner of her eyes. Sirius shot her an embarrassed look. He could not believe he'd just said that to her. She just couldn't hold it in anymore. She burst out laughing. Remus quickly joined in.  
  
After a while, they both settled down. Sirius was staring at the floor, apparently very interested in a little piece of thread on the carpet. He didn't know why he was embarrassed. Everyone knew he ate...a lot. And Sirius Black knew no shame. But with Lauren...He could have died when his stomach emitted a very audible growl, redeeming another fit of laughter from Remus. Lauren reached up her hand from where it had been clutching her side and lifted up his chin. "It's okay," she said soothingly, "When they bring the cart around, I'll understand if you want to leave me for some delicious baked goods."  
  
Remus started laughing on the other side of Sirius once again. 'Here we go again,' Sirius thought. Was he ever going to hear the end of this? He was delighted when Remus quickly shut up.  
  
He leaned over and murmured in Lauren's ear, "Actually, I think you look quite scrumptious yourself." Then he moved into kiss her.  
  
This time Remus made a gagging noise beside him. 'Damn Moony and his stupid werewolf senses!' Sirius fumed inwardly as he pulled back.  
  
Lauren sighed. She had never seen them so riled up. But then, she had never ridden on the train home with them, either. She leaned her head against Sirius' shoulder, her eyelids already drooping shut.  
  
Lauren hadn't even realized she was asleep when she felt someone stroking her cheek lightly. She quickly opened her eyes. When everything came into focus, she was staring at Sirius, who was smiling down at her. "You ready?" he said. "Of course," she replied happily. She turned to James, Lily, and Remus. "See you on Christmas Day," she said cheerfully. They were all invited to the ball. This was going to be the best Christmas ever.  
  
Sirius tried to hide the fact that he was insanely nervous about staying at the Walkers'. Yeah, he had known her parents back before attending Hogwart's. They had seemed to like him enough. But still, it didn't make the whole meet-the-parents ordeal any less daunting. He'd never been in a serious relationship before, so this would be a whole new experience.  
  
Lauren noticed that Sirius was unusually quiet as they disembarked from the train. She had a pretty good idea what he was thinking about. She placed her hand in his, squeezing it gently as she said, "Don't worry. They already love you."  
  
Sirius smiled. Maybe it wasn't going to be that bad...  
  
A/N: The whole sexymuffin thing was actually inspired by a real event, I cannot claim that I came up with it ( Oh yeah, my hard-drive crashed so I lost about 10 pages of my story. I'm having to rewrite those pages, and this is one of the chapters I rewrote. The next one might take a little longer than usual because I haven't written it yet. I'm waiting for my muses to come...maybe I'll have to invite them over.


	12. Reintroductions

**Siriusly Deluded**

Thank you, reviewers:

Doodleflip: Thank you so much! I'm glad my attempt at humor turned out well.

magid bond: Thanks...yeah, the sexymuffin thing was way too funny for me to pass up the chance to share it with others!

ImSiriuslyInLUV/Padfootz-luvr: Er, you can keep Tom Felton...I do agree with you about Johnny Depp, though. Thank you once again for your review!

**Ch. 12: Reintroductions**  
  
Sirius led Lauren out of the train, extending his arm for her to hold onto as she stepped off of the train. He had known for many years about her tendency to be just a little bit clumsy. Then he stopped, looking around at all the people occupying Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.  
  
Lauren was doing the same. Her eyes lit up when she saw a familiar face, grinning back at her from several meters away.  
  
"I see them," she said excitedly to Sirius. Then she led him over to her parents, who were standing right in front of a wall. Sirius stayed back a little while Lauren greeted her parents.  
  
"Hi, mom," Lauren said as she gave her mother a hug.  
  
Sirius watched as Lauren hugged her mother. His thoughts turned to his own mother. He could not remember her ever hugging him like that. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. Surprisingly, it worked. He looked back at the two women. Sirius knew where Lauren got her looks from. Maria Walker was petite like her daughter, but shorter, standing only 5 feet, 2 inches. She was Greek, and had long dark hair and dark eyes. Her skin had an olive tone. She had a pretty face and a warm smile.  
  
Then she turned to her dad, saying, "Hi, daddy," as she gave him a hug as well.  
  
Sirius looked on as Lauren hugged her father, Edward Walker. He worked for the Ministry of Magic. In fact, he was the Ambassador of Magic, the primary correspondent between the muggle and wizarding worlds. He was a very tall man, about six foot three, and quite daunting. He had dark blonde hair, flashing grey eyes, and a charming smile.  
  
Lauren turned to Sirius, giving him a big smile before she began, "You remem—"  
  
"Sirius Black!" Lauren's mother said incredulously.  
  
Sirius nodded, a smile forming on his lips. Lauren's mother walked determinedly towards him. "It's so wonderful to see you dear," she said. Then she threw her arms around his neck, giving him a tight hug.  
  
"I was wondering when you two would come to your senses," she said into his ear.  
  
Sirius felt himself blush. He actually blushed...And Sirius Black simply did not blush. But the fact that her mother had just said that to him...was it that obvious?  
  
His eyebrows were still knitted in thought when Lauren's mother pulled away from him.  
  
Lauren's father stepped up to him, extending his hand. Sirius took it. They shook hands firmly. Sirius noticed that he had a very strong grip. Crushing, in fact.  
  
"Well, Sirius, it's been a long time," Edward said, a smile playing at his lips.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Walker, it has," Sirius replied. "Too long, in fact," he murmured as his gaze returned to Lauren, who was talking animatedly with her mother.  
  
He turned back to Lauren's father, who had followed Sirius' gaze to his daughter.  
  
He gave Sirius a stern look as he warned, "Don't you break her heart."  
  
"No chance," he said honestly, looking Lauren's father straight in the eye.  
  
"Good answer," Mr. Walker said as he clapped Sirius on the back.  
  
They walked over to Lauren and Mrs. Walker. Edward offered his arm to Lauren's mother, who graciously accepted it. The pair began walking towards the wall that would lead them into the muggle world.  
  
Sirius and Lauren looked at each other mischievously, imitating her parents as they linked arms and followed them out into London.  
  
King's Cross Station was bustling with people. It was always like that around the holidays, with people traveling to visit relatives and hurrying to make last minute gift purchases.  
  
They weaved their way through the crowds until they reached the parking lot, where a large black car was awaiting them. The car was one of the many perks that came along with Mr. Walker's job.  
  
The chauffer opened the door and the four of them climbed in. Sirius looked around. From the outside, the car had appeared to be a large sedan. But inside, it was the size of a huge limousine. Sirius thought it was pretty cool.  
  
Sirius and Lauren settled into the seats facing forward, across from Lauren's parents. The four of them sat there in silence for a while. Sirius could tell that the Walkers were trying to think of something to ask him without mentioning his family. He knew it was a hard task.  
  
Lauren broke the silence. "Hey, dad," she said. "Did you know that Sirius is a Beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team?"  
  
"No kidding?" Mr. Walker replied, grinning at Sirius. "I was a Ravenclaw Beater when I was at Hogwarts. It was great fun," he said.  
  
"So tell me, how is the Ravenclaw team doing?" he asked.  
  
"Er, well... not so good," Sirius said haltingly. How could he put this lightly? "I'm afraid that they haven't been doing so well since you left," he said.  
  
"Oh, that bad, eh?" Edward replied.  
  
Sirius nodded.  
  
"Gryffindor has won the Quidditch Cup for the past three years, dad," Lauren said brightly.  
  
"Well, good job, son," Mr. Walker said. "As long as Slytherin doesn't win, I'm happy."  
  
Sirius was shocked at what Lauren's father had said. He'd just called him "son." It had been a long time since anyone had called him that. He knew that Mr. Walker hadn't meant it in that way, but it still felt...he couldn't explain it.  
  
Lauren watched as Sirius and her father talked. She was really glad that they were getting along. Her mom had always loved Sirius, but her dad didn't really like that she had spent so much time with him as a kid. It was probably the fact that he was a Black. The Walkers and the Blacks were two of the most respected wizarding families in Britain. But recently it had become increasingly obvious that they didn't see eye to eye very often. The Blacks thought that pure bloodlines were absolutely necessary to make a good witch or wizard. The Walkers held the opposite view. Hopefully her father would quickly see how different Sirius was from the rest of his family.  
  
"So, what have you guys been up to?" she asked her parents, who looked at each other before her mother answered, "Oh, everything imaginable. We've had so much to do with the ball coming up. It's a big task. Sending out all the owls, decorating, planning the menu, picking up the necessary items...Speaking of which, I picked up your dress last week. It's on your bed."  
  
Lauren smiled back at her mom and said, "Thank you."  
  
Her mom smiled back knowingly.  
  
Sirius and Mr. Walker both noticed their little exchange.  
  
"What's your dress like?" Sirius asked. Her father leaned forward a little, as though he was also interested in her answer.  
  
Lauren turned to him, smirking as she said, "You'll just have to wait and see."  
  
Sirius sighed, settling back into the seat and looking out the window at the quickly-passing London streets.  
  
"We're here," Mrs. Walker said.  
  
Sirius looked out the window at the huge white house looming in front of him. He smiled at the familiar sight. It had been nearly seven years since he had been there, and even more since he had arrived there through the front door. But he had always loved the Walker Estate.  
  
Once the car pulled into the large circular driveway, it slowed to a halt. The chauffer opened the door once again, and Mr. Walker stepped out first, offering a hand to his wife. Sirius did the same for Lauren, who squeezed his hand and mouthed, "Brilliant," at him before they started walking up the drive, hand-in-hand.  
  
When they were all safely inside and the butler had taken their outerwear, Sirius looked around the house. It looked exactly the same as it had the last time he was there. It was large and open, with a lot of windows that let light stream in. It was mainly white, decorated with forest green and gold accents. It was so different from his house...Sirius was snapped out of his reverie when Mrs. Walker spoke up. "We'll be having dinner at six. Lauren will show you to your room. Your trunks have already been taken upstairs. Meanwhile, we will be working on our plans for the ball. Right, Edward?" she said, looking at her husband.  
  
"Right," Mr. Walker said with a grin. Lauren's parents walked away, going through a doorway on the right. Sirius could swear that her mom was giggling.  
  
"Come on Sirius," Lauren said, tugging on his hand and turning to walk up the grand staircase immediately in front of them.  
  
Sirius looked down at her, grinning as he said, "Can't wait to get me alone in your room, can you?"  
  
Lauren rolled her eyes and said, "No, I can't wait to lock you in yours so you won't cause any trouble."  
  
"Me? Trouble?" Sirius asked innocently.  
  
"Come on," Lauren said. This time, she didn't have to drag him.  
  
When they reached the top of the stairs, Lauren turned to the left. She wasn't sure which guest room Sirius was supposed to stay in. Then she remembered the stern look her father had given Sirius at the train station. She turned around, heading right.  
  
Sirius was confused, but followed her anyway. He trailed behind her until she stopped at the door at the end of the hallway.  
  
Lauren opened the door slowly, relieved when she saw Sirius' trunk sitting on the floor in front of the bed.  
  
"Well, here it is," Lauren said. This was the largest of the guest rooms. It was also the one furthest away from her room. Sirius knew this, too.  
  
"Couldn't separate us any more, could they?" Sirius asked, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice.  
  
"I guess not," Lauren murmured. Didn't her parents trust her? She wouldn't ever do anything really bad...Well, it probably was a good idea to decrease the temptation.  
  
"I need to go unpack my stuff," Lauren said. She didn't know what to do with Sirius now that they had a lot of time to spend together. Usually their dates were spontaneous and limited as far as time was concerned.  
  
"Wait," Sirius said, grabbing her arm. He pulled her to him, kissing her softly on the lips before he whispered, "Aren't you going to show me your room?"  
  
Lauren practically melted in his arms. It had been a long time since they had kissed. He almost did on the train, but Remus made fun of them. And no way had he tried to kiss her in front of her parents.  
  
"Okay," Lauren said slowly. Sirius laced his fingers into hers and they walked down the hall to the opposite end of the hallway. She opened the door, leading him inside. Lauren nearly sighed in relief when she noticed that her dress was still in its garment bag. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't want Sirius to see it yet.  
  
Sirius looked around at her room. It, unlike the rest of the house, had definitely changed over the past seven years. Before, it had been decorated in mainly pink and white. The carpet had been pink, the walls white, her bedspread was white with pink flowers. The walls were still white, but now the carpet was white and her bedspread was a deep purple color. It was a lot more mature looking now. But then again, so was she.  
  
"I like it," he said, looking at Lauren.  
  
"Thanks," she replied as she walked over to her bed. She picked up the garment bag and opened her closet, hanging it up inside.  
  
Then she turned around and saw Sirius sitting on her bed, running his hand absentmindedly over her satin comforter. He seemed to be thinking very hard about something.  
  
Sirius was doing just that. He was thinking about the last time he had been in her room, the last time he had been in her bed. He could remember it so well...  
  
Lauren came and sat beside him, her thoughts centering on the same thing. She still wondered about something she swore he had said that night.  
  
"Sirius?" she asked gently.  
  
"Yes?" Sirius said, turning to look at her.  
  
"That night...did you—"  
  
"I didn't want to tell them. We were just being stupid. I never knew that people would talk about it," Sirius said all in one breath.  
  
"Oh, it's okay," Lauren said slowly, deciding to put off asking the question that she was burning to ask until later.  
  
Sirius looked out the window. "Look, it's snowing!" he said excitedly.  
  
"Really?" Lauren asked with a smile.  
  
"Do we have time to go outside?" Sirius asked.  
  
Lauren looked at her watch. They still had about an hour before dinner.  
  
"Sure," she responded.  
  
"Let's go," Sirius said, practically dragging her out of her room and down the stairs. The Walker's butler handed Sirius their coats, cloaks, and hats. Sirius helped Lauren into her coat before he put his on. Then he grinned evilly as he placed her hat on her head, pulling it over her eyes.  
  
"Hey!" Lauren cried as the world suddenly went black. She whirled around blindly, and Sirius laughed. Then he lifted up her hat, returning it to its normal position.  
  
"Thought I'd lost you for a minute there," Sirius said laughingly as he pulled on his gloves.  
  
"Oh, shut it," Lauren said, trying to bite back a laugh.  
  
Then Sirius whipped her cloak around her, his hands resting on her shoulders before he tied it at her neck. He leaned down to kiss her again.  
  
"Sirius, if we don't hurry, we won't be able to stay outside for long," Lauren reminded him while she yanked on her gloves. What if her parents came into the foyer?  
  
He pulled away, disappointed. Then he smiled as he pulled on his cloak.  
  
Lauren slipped her hand into Sirius' before she led him out the front door.  
  
Outside, the snow was falling softly to the ground. Lauren and Sirius raced to the side of the house, where there was an open area between the house and the trees.  
  
Lauren stopped, slightly out of breath. She looked up at Sirius, who was gazing back at her. She smiled.  
  
Sirius smiled back at her. She looked so beautiful. Her cheeks were pink from the cold. There were tiny little snowflakes on her eyelashes. He wanted to kiss them away...but he did something else instead.  
  
He bent down and scooped up some snow into his hand. Then he stood back up, a mischievous glint in his eyes.  
  
"Sirius, no," Lauren pleaded. Realizing he wasn't going to listen to her, she bent down as well, using both hands to form a ball of snow. She held it up, warning him.  
  
Sirius only grinned in response. He backed up a little, then he threw his snowball at Lauren, hitting her square in the chest.  
  
"Sirius!" she choked out. Then she threw her snowball, which missed him by a mile. She shook her head. She was so not athletic. She bent down to gather some more snow.  
  
Meanwhile, Sirius had already formed his own. He threw it at her, and it bounced off of her head.  
  
"Ahh!" Lauren said when it made contact. She stood up quickly, looking for Sirius. She didn't see him anywhere. Then she felt a snowball pelt her in the back. She whirled around to see a very pleased Sirius. She drew back her arm and released her snowball, hurling it towards him. He ducked, and again she missed him.  
  
She sighed as she bent down yet again. Before she could stand up, another snowball hit her, this time right on her butt. She straightened up quickly, nearly dropping the snow she had gathered.  
  
Sirius had been less careful this time, as he was standing much closer than before. Lauren launched her snowball at him. It hit him directly in the face. Lauren was stunned. She hadn't been aiming for his face. She had terrible aim; she'd been hoping to hit him in the stomach. She rushed over to him. Having a mouthful of snow was probably not a very pleasant experience.  
  
Sirius stood there, shocked when the snow collided with his face. He sputtered, bringing his hands up to wipe it off before it started burning.  
  
"Sirius, are you alright?" Lauren asked him concernedly, reaching up to wipe away some of the snow.  
  
"Perfect," Sirius said, now recovered from the surprise of Lauren's rogue snowball. Then he grabbed onto her, pushing her down onto the ground.  
  
Lauren was taken off guard as she landed on the ground, Sirius on top of her in much the same way he had been the day he told her that he was an Animagus.  
  
Sirius looked down at Lauren. He could see her breath coming out of her mouth like tiny puffs of smoke. He was so happy...  
  
Lauren reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pulled his head down to hers, kissing him hungrily.  
  
Sirius rested his forearms on the ground for support before placing his hands on her hips. He kissed her back eagerly. This was going to be a very good holiday...  
  
After a while, Lauren opened her eyes as she caught her breath. Sirius was looking down at her, smiling as he lowered his head to kiss her again. "Sirius, it's getting dark. We should go inside now," she said softly.  
  
Sirius kissed her anyway, slowly and sensuously. She closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling. But then she placed her hands on his chest, pushing him away. "We really need to go," she repeated.  
  
Sirius sighed as he rolled off of Lauren, standing up and holding out his hands to pull her off the ground. As they started walking towards the house, Sirius glanced at the back of Lauren. Snow was sticking to her from head to toe. He laughed.  
  
"What?" Lauren asked, turning around.  
  
"You have snow all over you," he said.  
  
"Oh," Lauren responded. Then she stopped and asked saucily, "Well, are you going to get it off?"  
  
Sirius smirked as he replied, "Gladly." He stepped behind her, leisurely running his hands over her to remove the snow. When he was done, he grabbed her hand. Then he led her back inside himself.  
  
The butler was there to take their cloaks, coats, and other items.  
  
"I need to change before dinner," Lauren said.  
  
"I will, too," Sirius responded.  
  
They walked up the stairs side by side, parting when they reached the landing.  
  
Sirius looked over his shoulder at her receding form, wishing she had snow all over her back more often.

A/N: Guys, I'm having a lot of trouble getting the inspiration to write the next chapter. I've already tried to write it two days in a row with no success. Please help me out...okay? You know how ;)


	13. Reservations

**Siriusly Deluded**  
  
I love my reviewers (and my readers who don't review, too...most of the time)!  
  
Padfoot-rulz011: Thanks! Er, James isn't a stalker...Lily gave him that picture, since they're officially together (I think I mention that in Chapter 10). I suppose he's abnormally attached to it, though. But I think it's cute ( I feel ya on the whole target for every ball imaginable thing. It's like, I'll be sitting with four other people and happen to be the only person that gets hit...multiple times. It sucks!  
  
Mary Lennox: Thank you sooo much. For giving me a good kick in the arse, I mean. All it took was a change of scenery and I hammered out a 3,000 word chapter!  
  
lelegurl9: Thank you! I thought it would be funny for Sirius to actually be somewhat afraid of someone for a change ;)  
  
Padmez: Thank you very, very much. Siriusly ;)  
  
Kerichi: Yay, a new reviewer! Thank you so much! Hehe, I liked the dirty shirt part, too. We'll see about Sirius trying to keep his hormones under control...  
  
snuffles(): Another new reviewer! Thank you! I'm really trying to develop their characters a little more. Sirius is proving to be a little harder than I imagined, though.  
  
**Ch. 13: Reservations  
**  
After changing, Lauren and Sirius met at the top of the stairs once again and began to descend them side by side. He only had to reach out an arm to prevent her from falling once.  
  
"You'd think I'd learn how to walk down the stairs at my own house without tripping," she commented with a small smile.  
  
He grinned back at her. "Maybe someone else might...but after seventeen years, I try not to expect the impossible," he said, putting his arm loosely around her waist.  
  
She glared up at him, but leaned into his side anyway.  
  
They reached the door to the dining room. Lauren squeezed his hand and walked through. He paused, taking a deep breath in preparation for the inevitable questioning he was about to endure. Then he stepped inside himself, following Lauren to the other side of the room.  
  
The Walkers were seated at the end of a ridiculously long formal dining table. A table so long, in fact, that it would probably seat all of Hogwarts, if only the houses could get along well enough to actually sit down and eat a meal at the same table. Civilly, that is. Although the resulting food-fight would probably be fun...  
  
A house elf pulled out two chairs across from Lauren's parents. Sirius waited for Lauren to sit, and was planning on pushing her chair in for her, but he was practically forced into his own chair by the house elf, which was rather stronger than it looked.  
  
Lauren nearly choked as she tried to contain her laughter. He had practically fallen on his arse in surprise.  
  
Two more house elves entered the room. One poured ice-water into their glasses, the other brought in their food.  
  
"How is your room?" Lauren's mother asked Sirius once everything was settled.  
  
"Oh, it's...great," Sirius replied after receiving a kick in the foot from Lauren. What did she think he was going to say? That it was nice, but much too far away and rather inconvenient for him to be sneaking into her room in the middle of the night?  
  
"Good," Mr. Walker said, giving Sirius an almost challenging look.  
  
"So, Sirius what have you been up to?" Mrs. Walker asked carefully.  
  
"Well, classes and Quidditch practices keep me pretty busy. NEWTs are coming up, so all us seventh years are getting a little nervous," he responded, glancing over at Lauren.  
  
"And what are your plans after school? Graduation is coming up faster than you think, you know," Mr. Walker said.  
  
"Well...uh," Sirius stammered. He really didn't know what he was going to do after graduating. He wasn't aware of any professional pranking service he could join. He was intelligent, yes, but he was more than a little on the lazy side when it came to schoolwork. He got bored easily, too...Wow, he was sounding more and more impressive by the second.  
  
The whole time the thoughts were buzzing in Sirius' head, Mr. Walker had been eyeing him warily.  
  
"Dad," Lauren interjected, trying to remove some of the attention from Sirius, "we still have a lot of time before we have to start working. I for one don't know what I want to do yet. It all depends on our exam results."  
  
Sirius smiled at Lauren appreciatively. It was good to know that he wasn't the only procrastinator around. He chanced a glance at Lauren's father, who seemed to be a bit more relaxed now.  
  
"What are you two planning on doing tomorrow?" Mrs. Walker finally asked in a bright tone.  
  
"Well," Lauren started, glancing at Sirius. "We hadn't really discussed it yet. I have a bit more shopping to do..." she trailed off, still gazing at Sirius questioningly. She was well aware that he was not a fan of shopping.  
  
Sirius nodded as he answered, "Sounds good to me." He needed to get a few things as well.  
  
"Alright," Mrs. Walker said. "Tomorrow you two can shop downtown. You can take the car—"  
  
"It's okay, mum. We can just walk," Lauren said, lightly placing a hand on Sirius knee. He nodded, a bit more emphatically than he should have...at least that's what Mr. Walker's narrowed gaze implied.  
  
"Okay, then you can walk. Edward will be working all day. I will be in and out, doing some errands. On Christmas Eve—" Mrs. Walker stopped talking suddenly again, this time cut off by her own accord.  
  
"Sirius, do you normally do anything special for Christmas?" she asked gently.  
  
"Er, not really. My family isn't big on celebrating Christmas. A bit too joyous for them, I think. The Blacks rather prefer Halloween," he said, trying to joke as he stared into his lap. He was pretty sure it hadn't come out as lighthearted as he wanted. Why couldn't his family be normal?  
  
"Okay," Mrs. Walker said slowly. "Well, on Christmas Eve, we usually spend the morning decorating the house for the ball. Then we have lunch as a family. After that, Mr. Walker and I—" she paused, smiling at her husband lovingly, "—have plans. You two are on your own. Christmas morning, we open presents, have brunch, and get ready for the ball. I trust you brought your dress robes?" she asked Sirius.  
  
"Yes, of course," Sirius replied.  
  
With all the business settled, and Mr. Walker's inquisition seemingly over, everyone relaxed. Lauren observed, commenting and laughing here and there, of course, the way Sirius interacted with her parents. He quickly began to joke around with them, making even the stupidest topics interesting. She loved that about him. He was extremely charming, he always knew what to do and say, but not haughtily so. She definitely had the tendency to be more than a bit uptight, and he helped her with that. Occasionally he would cover her hand with his, caressing it as Lauren's parents conversed. She tried not to smile too much when he did, but it was quite hard. Hopefully her parents thought she was thinking of one of the many funny things Sirius had said that night.  
  
The door to the dining room swung open, and the butler appeared in the doorway. "Urgent message from the Ministry, sir," he announced, bowing low as Mr. Walker excused himself from the table.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I have to take this," Mr. Walker said apologetically as he stood up and moved towards Lauren and Sirius.  
  
"Goodnight, Lauren," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Sirius," he added with a nod as he turned to walk out the door.  
  
"Love you, dad," Lauren called after him.  
  
The meal practically over before Mr. Walker's departure anyway, the three remaining diners rose from their seats.  
  
Lauren's mom looked over at Sirius. She smiled, then said, "It's good to see you again, Sirius." Sirius knew that she was being completely genuine.  
  
Maria tilted her head to the side, pondering something. Then she commented, "You know, Lauren never brings boys home. Actually...you were the last one."  
  
Sirius tried not to smile in response. That was very good to know.  
  
Lauren, meanwhile, was smiling at her mother, but her eyes flashed warningly.  
  
That made Sirius want to smile even more.  
  
"Well, goodnight, loves," Mrs. Walker said, pulling both Lauren and Sirius into a hug. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"  
  
"Okay, mum," Lauren replied, torn between smiling and sighing. 'Yeah, mum, tell him that I had no life while he wasn't around...'  
  
Sirius had been watching Lauren the whole time. He was still looking down at her amusedly when she met his gaze.  
  
"What?" she asked tersely.  
  
"You," he said simply, "are adorable."  
  
Lauren softened, lifting a hand to rest it on his chest.  
  
"You," she began, "are impossible."  
  
Sirius tilted her face towards his with one hand as he drew her body closer with the other. He nearly snatched his hands away when he heard the door swish open, but held onto her instead. He cringed, waiting for Mr. Walker to walk back in the room and catch him red-handed.  
  
Luckily, it was just the butler, who stammered as he looked away, apologizing profusely to "Miss Walker."  
  
"It's okay Geoffrey," Lauren said soothingly. "We were just leaving," she said, glancing quickly at Sirius, who arched a brow and bit back a smirk.  
  
He placed a hand on Lauren's lower back, guiding her out the door and into the foyer.  
  
Lauren immediately turned in his arms, wrapping hers around his neck and standing on her tip-toes to give him a soft kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Goodnight," she murmured into his ear before she detached herself from him and started walking up the staircase.  
  
'You have got to be kidding me,' Sirius thought exasperatedly before he started after her.  
  
Thinking it best to walk up the stairs normally (even though he wanted to take them two at a time), he didn't catch up with her until they were both standing on the landing.  
  
He looked at her, slightly out of breath. Gazing downwards out of the corner of his eye, he realized that it was quite a long set of stairs.  
  
Lauren, almost involuntarily and certainly not gently, suddenly grabbed his sweater, pulling him along as she backed up into the hallway leading to her room. She never took her eyes off his.  
  
Sirius didn't even realize when his pushing overcame her pulling, but it obviously had, since Lauren was currently sandwiched between him and the door to her room.  
  
He leaned down to kiss her, but stopped as he remembered something Mrs. Walker had said.  
  
Lauren closed her eyes as his face approached hers. She waited, then furrowed her eyebrows as she opened her eyes and looked up at him questioningly, her lips still slightly parted.  
  
Sirius raised a hand to her face, running his thumb over her bottom lip as he asked huskily, "Couldn't find a playmate as good as me, could you?"  
  
Lauren sucked in a deep breath once his rough fingertip touched her lips; she could only shake her head in response.  
  
Satisfied with her answer, Sirius finally kissed her, pressing his body against hers. Suddenly realizing that it probably wasn't the most comfortable position for her, he placed a hand on the doorknob, twisting it sharply.  
  
The doorknob, however, did not move. He pulled away, frustrated. "Is your room locked?" he asked breathlessly.  
  
"No," Lauren replied slowly after taking a few seconds to recover. As her brain defogged, she began to determine what was going on. Edward: 1, Sirius: 0.  
  
"You...can't come in," she said haltingly.  
  
Sirius pouted in response, but he knew that she wasn't the one making this particular decision.  
  
"Okay," he said softly, giving her a deep, searching kiss before pulling away and padding down the impossibly long corridor.  
  
Leaning her back against her door, Lauren watched his receding figure, sighing as she grabbed the handle and backed into her room.  
  
She got ready for bed quickly. And she fell asleep in what felt like record time.  
  
Sirius took a cold shower before pulling on a pair of flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt. Then he climbed into bed, thinking a long time about his family. But his final thought was about Lauren before he drifted off to sleep. 


	14. Excursions

**Siriusly Deluded**  
  
I am sooo sorry I took much longer than usual to update. It's pretty hard to get into the Christmas spirit when it's 100 degrees outside! I promise the next chapter will be up really soon...  
  
Thank you once again, reviewers:  
  
alenchic: Thank you so much! Yeah, I had this idea for a story about Remus for about a month and then one day I went looking for Sirius stories and almost all of them were slash...and I just think it's a shame for Remus and Sirius to be together and deprive us all of them, you know?  
  
Amfmchic: Yeah...I know his eyes are gray...but I just love blue eyes...and a girl can fantasize, can't she?  
  
Ella Palladino: Thanks for reviewing! But, lucky for Sirius and Lauren, Edward isn't as smart as he thinks...or maybe they're not as stupid as he thinks they are...  
  
Padfootz-luvr: Hehe, "naked without actual nudity?" (kinda defeats the purpose doesn't it...but I know what you mean...gotta leave something to the imagination, right?) I don't know about sparing Johnny...maybe just Wednesdays ;)  
  
Doodleflip: Thanks for reviewing! Sirius and I (er...I mean Lauren...rrright...) are cute together, aren't they ;)  
  
Kerichi: Thank you! No, Lauren's dad isn't making it easy for Sirius at all...but we all know he has to put those brains to use somehow...Oh, the irony of the fact that you think I am good at writing romantic scenes...  
  
Me (or, you, I suppose): Thank you sooo much! I'm glad you reviewed!  
  
BlackWiltedRose: I was wondering where you'd gone...j/k ;) No prob, you keep on writing your own story! Unfortunately, my dad doesn't need to put a lock on my door, either!  
  
Failte: I can't tell you how much your reviews make me smile!  
  
**Chapter 14: Excursions  
**  
The next morning, Lauren awoke with a start when she heard the word "NO!" screamed from down the hallway. 'Sirius!' was her only thought as she jumped out of her bed, wrenched open her door and ran down to the other end of the corridor.  
  
Without even thinking, she grabbed the doorknob to his room, remembering that she probably shouldn't have been able to open it only when she was already halfway through the door.  
  
She rushed over to the bed, where Sirius was thrashing around. He seemed very upset by whatever he was dreaming about. She reached out a hand, pulling it back in fear when Sirius' arm came dangerously close to hitting her.  
  
After a few more failed attempts to touch him, she finally climbed onto the bed. She sat next to him and placed her hand lightly on his forehead, gently pushing a strand of hair out of his eyes . "It's just a dream," she murmured. He stopped moving immediately.  
  
Sirius' eyes darted open, flitting around before landing on Lauren's concerned face.  
  
"Sirius, are you okay? I heard you scream," she said softly when his gaze met hers.  
  
Sirius squeezed his eyes shut. If she had heard him from down the hall..."I'm fine," he replied, his voice edgier than he'd intended.  
  
"Alright, I..." Lauren trailed off, not sure if she should ask about his dream.  
  
"I'm sorry, I just can't talk about it right now," Sirius said softly, giving her an apologetic look.  
  
"Okay, I'll go get dressed," she said carefully as she slid off his bed and stood.  
  
"Bye," Sirius called wistfully, taking advantage of the opportunity to watch her pajama-clad body as she walked away.  
  
Lauren froze, her hand poised above the door handle, at the sound of his voice. She shook her head, but simply couldn't make herself leave the room.  
  
Sirius' mouth formed a grin as Lauren slowly turned around to face him. It widened as she crossed the room at lightning speed and jumped into his arms. She framed his face with her hands, pulling him in for a kiss. Sirius, of course, happily obliged. He fell back onto the pillows, bringing her along with him.  
  
As if he knew what was going on, Lauren's father chose that moment to call from downstairs, "Lauren, breakfast is getting cold!"  
  
Lauren, who had jumped into the air and practically fallen off the bed at the sound of her father's voice, immediately headed out of the room.  
  
Sirius thought it wise not to say anything to her this time.  
  
He dragged himself out of bed and took a hot shower. He dug through his rather unorganized trunk, picking up a shirt and quickly dropping it back inside when he inhaled. He shook his head, remembering the dirty shirt from when he was packing back at school.  
  
After dressing, he walked downstairs alone, realizing that Lauren had probably already gone. He caught sight of Mrs. Walker, crossing the foyer.  
  
"Mrs. Walker," he called.  
  
"Good morning, Sirius. Did you sleep well?" Maria asked.  
  
"Yes, thank you," he said reluctantly. He didn't want to lie, but he wasn't about to go into the details of his dream with Lauren's mother, either.  
  
"Glad to hear it. If you're looking for Lauren, she's in the dining room," Mrs. Walker said with a smile.  
  
"Actually, I was hoping I could ask you something," Sirius replied, stepping closer to her so they wouldn't be overheard.  
  
"Of course," Maria said.  
  
"I was wondering if I could get Lauren a pet for her Christmas present," he said.  
  
"What kind of pet?" Mrs. Walker asked, raising her eyebrows. She was not allowing a bat or anything like that in her house.  
  
Sirius told her his plan to go shopping with Lily at the Magical Menagerie in the afternoon.  
  
"I think she'd love that," Maria replied with a smile once Sirius finished. She started walking to the dining room.  
  
"Really?" he asked, grinning as he followed her through the doors.  
  
"Yes, really," she said.  
  
"Really what?" Lauren questioned from her seat.  
  
"Never you mind, Lauren," Maria admonished as she planted a kiss on the top of her confused daughter's head.  
  
"You kids have fun today," she called back as she walked through the other set of doors and out of the room.  
  
Lauren looked at Sirius, who shrugged and gave her a weak smile. She narrowed her eyes, but didn't say anything.  
  
He sat down and a house-elf rushed in, pouring him a glass of pumpkin juice and setting a plate of pancakes in front of him. He eyed the meal appreciatively for about a second before grabbing his fork and digging in.  
  
"Sirius," Lauren said with a laugh, "the food won't disappear if you don't inhale it."  
  
"Er...right," Sirius replied, giving her a grin as he slowed the rate at which he was shoveling the food into his mouth.  
  
Lauren watched Sirius as he ate, chewing on her own pancakes thoughtfully. She was still trying to decide what to get him. She had an idea, but she needed James' help. Now all she had to do was somehow get away from Sirius when they were shopping.  
  
"Are you going to finish that?" Sirius asked, interrupting her thoughts. His fork was hovering dangerously over to her plate.  
  
"Sirius! Yes, I'm going to finish it! There's more, you know," she chastised. She knew teenage boys ate a lot, but his appetite was pushing the boundaries of normalcy.  
  
Sirius grinned sheepishly at her before asking, "So what are your parents' special plans tomorrow?" He remembered the look that had passed between her parents at dinner the night before.  
  
"Oh," Lauren said, surprised by his completely random question. A house-elf came through the door and piled more pancakes onto Sirius' plate. He looked delighted, but turned towards Lauren as she started talking.  
  
"They always go ice skating and then out to dinner. It's their tradition. My dad proposed on Christmas Eve, right in the middle of the rink," Lauren explained with a smile. Her parents were quite romantic.  
  
Sirius smiled back, an idea brewing in his mind. "Do you want to go ice skating?" he asked.  
  
Lauren's eyes grew a little bigger in response. "Sirius, are you kidding?" she asked with a laugh. "Do you even know how to?"  
  
"Well, no," Sirius replied slowly. He hadn't really thought about that. 'Oh, well. I already put the idea on the table. I'm not going to take it back now,' he thought resignedly. Besides, he could tell that she would love to go. "You could teach me," he said with his infamous puppy-dog look.  
  
Lauren sighed, but it was half out of exasperation and half out of happiness. "Okay then. We'll go tonight," she replied.  
  
After Sirius finished his third helping of pancakes (and Lauren shook her head, wondering where all the food he ate went... 'It certainly doesn't show,' she thought wickedly as she glanced over at him), they put on their coats and strolled out into the streets of London.  
  
They shopped for several hours in Muggle London, picking out presents for a few people on their lists. As they stood on a bridge overlooking the Thames River, Sirius was still wondering how he could "ditch" Lauren before meeting Lily in Diagon Alley at two o'clock.  
  
Meanwhile, Lauren was wondering the same thing. She was supposed to meet James at two-thirty. She'd had an idea about her present for Sirius for a while, but she didn't want to buy it without a second opinion. Sirius was standing behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist and his chin resting on her head. As a particularly chilly wind hit them, she backed up, snuggling closer to him. She fought back a laugh when she heard his stomach growl.  
  
"You ready for lunch?" she asked, turning her head and tilting it upwards to look at him.  
  
"How'd you know?" he asked with a smile.  
  
"Here, or Hogsmeade?" she questioned.  
  
"Hmm, Hogsmeade," he said after giving the question some serious thought.  
  
After apparating to Hogsmeade, they ate lunch at the Three Broomsticks Inn.  
  
"Sirius," Lauren said after they finished their meal, "would you mind if I did a little shopping on my own?"  
  
"And leave me to fend for myself with all these crazy shoppers?" Sirius asked dramatically, glad that she had been the one to ask about separating.  
  
"Hush," she said with a laugh. "Besides, you'll fit right in," she smirked.  
  
"I resent that," Sirius replied.  
  
"Okay," Lauren said, giving him another smirk.  
  
After paying, they went outside and started walking down the crowded street. Once they got into a less-crowded place, Lauren gave Sirius a hug, saying "I'll see you later," before disapparating with a loud pop.  
  
He looked at his watch, which read "You're going to be late." He apparated to the Leaky Cauldron, where he met up with Lily. They walked to the back of the store and into Diagon Alley, headed straight for the Magical Menagerie.  
  
"So how is it going at the Walkers?" Lily asked. She had talked to James earlier in the day. It seemed that he was missing having his best friend over.  
  
"Good. Her parents are...nice," he replied.  
  
"I'm glad to see that her dad hasn't killed you yet," she commented with a laugh.  
  
"Well, don't get your hopes up. There's still time," he said slyly as he held open the door to the pet store for her.  
  
Meanwhile, Lauren was in Gringott's, getting some money out of her vault. She still had a while before she was supposed to meet James, so she headed over to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to pick up her present for Remus.  
  
At two-thirty, she was browsing through a shelf of books at Flourish and Blotts when someone tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to jump and whirl around.  
  
"James!" she whispered, "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"  
  
"Sorry," he replied with a smile.  
  
Lauren rolled her eyes. Sirius and his friends enjoyed scaring her a little more than she liked.  
  
"So, what did you have in mind for his present?" James asked as they headed out of the store and into the street.  
  
"I'll show you," Lauren said, leading the way to the junk shop. When they reached it, she pointed at the window.  
  
"It needs a little work," she explained, hoping James wouldn't think it was a stupid idea.  
  
"Yeah, we could put some really cool spells on it," James said excitedly, pressing his face up against the window to get a better view. He already had more than a few modifications in mind.  
  
"So you think I should get it for him?" she questioned.  
  
"Definitely," James said with a definitive nod as he walked into the store.  
  
After James haggled with the shop's owner about the price (his bargaining skills and authoritative manner came in very useful), Lauren made the purchase. Meanwhile, James transfigured the present into an inconspicuous gobstone and handed it over to Lauren.  
  
After putting the stone in her coat-pocket, Lauren looked at her watch, which read, "You better find something to do." She still had about an hour before she and Sirius were going ice-skating.  
  
"Do you want to get some ice cream or something?" Lauren asked.  
  
"Ice cream?" James questioned incredulously. "It's freezing outside."  
  
Lauren shrugged. "I like ice cream," she said simply.  
  
"Okay, we'll have ice cream then," James said, shrugging his shoulders.  
  
After Florean Fortescue gave them their cones, they sat down at a table and talked.  
  
"How's it going with Sirius?" James asked with a grin. He knew his friend could be quite...difficult to live with, especially after sharing a dorm room with him for the past seven years.  
  
"Good, but I think he misses staying with you, though," she said honestly.  
  
"We miss him, too. Especially my mum. He's like a second son to her. But, I'm sure you're...keeping him occupied?" James questioned with a smirk.  
  
Lauren rolled her eyes, refusing to respond to his comment. She turned her attention to her ice cream, but she was sure that James noticed the guilty smile she couldn't hold in.  
  
After a while she asked, "Does he always eat that much?"  
  
"Well, yeah," James replied laughingly. "That's the one thing my mum doesn't miss about him. She always said he was eating us out of house and home."  
  
After trading stories about Sirius' eating habits, a silence settled between them.  
  
"How are you and Lily doing?" Lauren asked. "Everyone can tell how much you like her."  
  
James shook his head and said softly, "I don't just like her...I love her."  
  
Lauren smiled back at him and murmured, "Oh," in a barely audible voice.  
  
"You know, the way you and Sirius feel about each other," James explained.  
  
Lauren looked away, her eyebrows knitting in confusion. Sirius had never told her that he loved her. She loved him, obviously. She wasn't sure if he felt the same, so she had never told him.  
  
James noticed her reaction, immediately wondering if he shouldn't have said what he just did. Sirius had told all of them that he thought he was in love with Lauren months ago...of course he had told her that, right? James sighed; obviously he hadn't. His best friend was an idiot.  
  
Sirius was having some major doubts about his suggestion to go ice skating as he headed to the ice-skating rink. Falling on his arse onto a slab of freezing cold ice in front of a ton of people...was not exactly his idea of fun. After getting Lauren's present, he and Lily went to the Leaky Cauldron and had some butterbeers while talking. He then met up with Lauren's mother, who had volunteered to take Lauren's present home and keep it hidden.  
  
He made a face as he struggled to tie on the skates. His expression changed, however, when he glanced over and saw Lauren, who was lacing up her skates, humming softly. She quickly finished the task and met his gaze. He went back to tying, acting more frustrated than he really was.  
  
Lauren laughed softly and hopped off the bench, kneeling down in front of him. She put her hands on his and slid them off the skate. Then she tied his laces deftly, feeling very much like a mother until he reached up a hand and placed it lightly on her cheek.  
  
"All set," she said, smiling up at him.  
  
He grabbed her hand and pulled her up. He also stood, but quite awkwardly at first. He placed a hand on her shoulder to steady himself.  
  
"Don't worry," she said. "It's easier on the ice."  
  
For some strange reason, Sirius doubted that. But he still made his way over to the entrance of the rink.  
  
"You ready?" Lauren asked as she stepped onto the ice. It didn't look that hard...  
  
He nodded and allowed her to pull him into the rink. He quickly circled his arms around her waist to keep from falling. It was quite the reversal of events. He was the one who usually had to keep her upright.  
  
Lauren bit back a laugh when Sirius grabbed onto her. Then she glanced behind him, where several people were waiting to get on the ice.  
  
"Sirius," she said softly.  
  
"Mmm," Sirius replied, his eyes closed.  
  
"We need to move. We're blocking people," she said.  
  
He opened his eyes, noting the impatient skaters. "Okay," he said resignedly.  
  
She pried one of his hands off her and turned so they each had an arm around the other. Then she skated forward, pulling him along with her, his free arm flailing and his legs spreading out threateningly over the slick ice.  
  
After a while, Sirius became accustomed to skating. Lauren wasn't surprised. He was a fast learner, and he was good at just about anything he tried to do. They were still holding hands, but it was no longer a safety precaution.  
  
"I can see why your dad proposed to your mum here," Sirius murmured as he looked around the rink. They were only one of many couples on the ice.  
  
"It is really romantic, isn't it?" Lauren replied, half to herself.  
  
Sirius responded by pulling her closer to him.  
  
They finally stepped off the ice about an hour later, both freezing cold. Sirius took her hands in his, rubbing them for warmth.  
  
Lauren had a better solution. She wrapped her arms around his back, moving forward until she was against him. His arms encircled her waist. He rested his chin on her head.  
  
"Thank you," Lauren said into his chest. Then she looked up at him.  
  
Sirius didn't know if he had ever seen her look more beautiful. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold. Her hair was splayed about, ruffled by the wind.  
  
"My pleasure," he said softly before claiming her lips with his own.  
  
They walked hand-in-hand back to Lauren's house. After Geoffrey had taken their outerwear, Lauren led him into the living room, where a fire was burning.  
  
"Are you hungry?" Lauren asked, turning to Sirius. From the looks of things, they had missed dinner.  
  
"Are you kidding?" he answered with a laugh.  
  
Lauren smirked. Why did she even bother to ask?  
  
She led him into the kitchen, where the house-elves greeted them.  
  
"What would you like to eat, Miss Lauren?" one of them asked eagerly.  
  
"Whatever my parents had is fine," she said, not wanting them to have to make a whole other meal. "And maybe some hot chocolate," she added as an afterthought.  
  
"Right away," the house-elf responded, scuttling away to get started.  
  
Lauren and Sirius went into the dining room and sat next to each other.  
  
"I had a good time today," Sirius said once he settled into his chair.  
  
Lauren smiled. "Since when do you enjoy shopping?" she asked teasingly.  
  
"Since today...since you," he said truthfully. The only kind of shopping he usually liked was at Honeydukes and Zonko's Joke Shop.  
  
Lauren blushed. "And the ice skating?" she questioned.  
  
"I wouldn't mind you giving me another lesson," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.  
  
After eating, Lauren and Sirius went back into the living room. Lauren sat down in front of the fireplace, leaning back on her arms. He sank down next to her, sighing as he rested his head in her lap.  
  
"Did you get everything you needed?" Lauren asked after a while.  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know?" he responded playfully, sitting up long enough to tackle her so she was lying on her back next to him, his arm supporting her head.  
  
"I didn't ask what you got," she said, "just if you g—"  
  
He silenced her with his lips, pulling her body closer to his and wrapping his arms around her waist. She sighed into his mouth, tangling her arms around his neck and reaching her hands up into his hair.  
  
It wasn't long before they both fell asleep in front of the dying fire, wrapped in each other's arms.  
  
Lauren's parents walked in an hour later after searching the house for the teenagers. Mr. Walker frowned at the sight and took a step forward. His wife, however, reached out an arm, halting him.  
  
"Let them be," she said softly, a smile playing at her lips.  
  
Mr. Walker sighed reluctantly, glancing over at his wife before conjuring a blanket and letting it fall into place over the sleeping couple.


	15. Decorations

**Siriusly Deluded**  
  
Thanks, reviewers!  
  
Padfootz-luvr: Hehe, you'll have to wait just a little longer to find out what they got each other ;)  
  
Padfoot-rulz011: Yeah, the doorknobs are completely unnecessary at my house (for me at least) Mr. Walker isn't that obsessive, is he? Ice cream does sound good right about now...  
  
Weasy: Thank you!  
  
Kerichi: Hehe, I wasn't doubting your opinion. The irony is that I have absolutely no romance in my life. Maybe it's some sort of vicarious romance? Hehe, diabetes of the brain. I probably have that!  
  
lelegurl9: Hey, thanks for reviewing! He did cast a spell...what spell he cast is yet to be discovered by Lauren and Sirius ;)  
  
Fanfic Gypsy: Yeah, I stumbled upon fictionalley a couple weeks ago and decided to post it there (it's also on ). Thanks for reading!  
  
alenchic: Yup, a total crime. Remus and Sirius are two of my fave characters! I thought Sirius ice-skating would be adorable, too ;)  
  
Anne-Evans89: Aw, I'm sorry. I'm sure you don't suck at skating :) I wish I had a boyfriend like him too (if it wasn't already totally obvious).  
  
Die Kikyo Die: Thanks so much!  
  
Xiaolu: Thank you! The war is on...  
  
**Chapter 15: Decorations  
**  
Sirius woke up the next morning feeling very stiff. He blinked, trying to remember why he was lying on the hard floor instead of a nice, soft bed. When his gaze focused on Lauren next to him, however, he smiled. His stomach growled, but he didn't want to wake her. Instead, he just lay there, playing with her hair and tracing invisible patterns on her skin with his fingers.  
  
Lauren shivered in her sleep and burrowed her face into his shoulder. He breathed in the scent of her hair and sighed.  
  
The door swung open, causing Sirius to raise himself up on one arm. Mr. Walker was standing in the doorway, looking none too happy.  
  
"I think it's about time you two woke up. We have a lot of work to do today," he said quietly, but firmly.  
  
Sirius nodded and sat up once Lauren's father turned to leave. As Edward walked into the dining room, which would serve as the main location of the Christmas Ball, he couldn't help but smile. He didn't want to like Sirius, but the way the boy had been looking at his daughter...  
  
Sirius glanced down at Lauren, who had curled up into a ball to compensate for the lack of his warmth. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers lightly.  
  
She opened her eyes slowly and gazed up at him while she stretched her arms above her head.  
  
"Hey, sleepyhead," Sirius teased softly, trying to not concentrate on how her body was...writhing as she stretched.  
  
Lauren smiled lazily and pulled herself up.  
  
"Good morning," she finally said.  
  
"Did you sleep well?" Sirius asked, rubbing a crick in his neck.  
  
"Yeah, I had a good dream," Lauren replied with a small smile.  
  
"A dream about me?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Nah, that would be called a nightmare," she answered, smirking.  
  
"Hey!" Sirius cried, giving her a hurt look.  
  
"Of course it was about you, you prat," Lauren said as she stood up.  
  
Sirius grabbed the blanket off the floor and stepped behind Lauren, wrapping it around her shoulders. He leaned down and whispered seductively in her ear, "And just what happened in this dream?"  
  
Lauren felt very lucky Sirius was standing behind her and couldn't see the blush rising up her cheeks. "Maybe you can help me recreate it later," she managed to say after clearing her throat. Then she walked away, leaving a gaping Sirius in her wake.  
  
After eating breakfast in the kitchen, Lauren and Sirius moved into the dining room where Lauren's parents and several house-elves were setting up for the ball. Instead of one huge table, there were many small round ones around the perimeter of the room. The middle of the room was empty except for a gigantic Christmas tree that towered to the ceiling.  
  
An hour later, Sirius was standing next to Lauren, hanging ornaments on the tree as he hummed random Christmas carols. Lauren smiled as she recalled the memory of decorating the Great Hall.  
  
Suddenly Sirius nearly shouted "Deck the halls with boughs of—oops, sorry." He looked over at Lauren, rather embarrassed. Then he quickly bent down and started digging rather enthusiastically through a box of ornaments.  
  
Lauren smiled, biting her lip to keep from laughing. She glanced around quickly. The house elves were shaking their heads at Sirius, slowly returning to their tasks. Lauren's parents were laughing silently. Lauren caught their eyes and gave them a look of disapproval. Edward immediately straightened, his mouth set in a firm line as he hung some tinsel. Lauren rolled her eyes exaggeratedly at her mother, who gave her husband a playful slap on the arm.  
  
After several hours of decorating, they were finally done. They admired their work for a few minutes, relieved to be finished.  
  
The four of them ate lunch at one of the small tables in the dining room. The Walkers thought of it as their Christmas meal, so there was plenty of food (even for Sirius). Their conversation mainly focused on school.  
  
When Edward and Sirius were discussing flying, Lauren glanced over at her mother, gesturing at her father when she caught her eye. Maria gave a slight nod and mouthed back, "He's coming around." Lauren grinned in response.  
  
Lauren's parents excused themselves from the table around two o'clock to get ready for their "special night." Lauren and Sirius headed upstairs together, wondering what they should do. Suddenly Sirius stopped as he thought of something. He turned to Lauren and asked her, "How did you get in my room yesterday?"  
  
"I don't know...it just opened," she said slowly as she recalled the morning before.  
  
"Try to open it now," he said, pulling her down the hall to the guest room he was staying in.  
  
She took a deep breath and turned the handle, but the door wouldn't budge. She looked up at Sirius, her eyebrows knitted in confusion.  
  
"Maybe the spell wore off overnight and my dad hadn't renewed it yet?" Lauren guessed.  
  
Sirius shrugged his shoulders. He doubted that was the reason. There was something they weren't considering...  
  
"I should probably do some studying," Lauren said softly.  
  
"You want to study now?" Sirius stared incredulously.  
  
"We do have our NEWTs in six months, you know," she reminded him.  
  
"Six months is a long time from now," he replied. He could think of a few things he'd rather do at the moment. One in particular...  
  
"Well, I'm having a little trouble with the last lesson in Transfiguration," she said.  
  
"I could help you," Sirius offered with a grin. James might have top marks in that class, but Sirius wasn't that far behind.  
  
"I'd like that," Lauren said, smiling. Then she turned and walked to her room to get her materials.  
  
They sat on the couch in the living room as they studied, Lauren's back against the arm of the sofa and her legs draped sideways over his lap. He rested his Potions book on her legs, more to keep them from distracting him than to prevent his arms from getting tired.  
  
"Is it dinner-time yet?" Sirius asked after a while, breaking the silence in the room.  
  
Lauren looked at her watch. "We ate three hours ago!" she said exasperatedly.  
  
"I have a fast metabolism," Sirius explained with a shrug.  
  
Lauren rolled her eyes and returned to her book.  
  
Fifteen minutes later...  
  
"Is it dinner-time yet?"  
  
"This is getting old. Fast."  
  
"Fine," Sirius huffed resignedly, glancing down at his book. He grinned, an idea forming in his head.  
  
Lauren shivered as she felt Sirius' finger lightly trace a line down her leg.  
  
"What?" she questioned softly as she put her book on the table behind her. There was no way she could concentrate if he was going to do that.  
  
"Well if I can't have dinner..." Sirius said slowly, lifting her legs off of him, "Can I at least have a snack?"  
  
"I guess so," Lauren replied haltingly. For some reason she didn't think he was asking for a treacle tart...or a bone for that matter.  
  
Sirius carefully readjusted himself on the couch, placing one knee on either side of Lauren's hips.  
  
Lauren looked up at him and bit her lip, then closed her eyes as his face approached hers. The instant his lips touched hers, she felt herself sinking downwards, sliding off of the arm of the sofa and onto the cushion.  
  
"So...dinner..." Lauren said after coming up for air, completely unable to form a coherent sentence.  
  
"What's on the menu? I already know about the special," Sirius commented with an evil grin.  
  
She ignored his comment for her sanity's sake. "Well, since my parents go out, I give the house-elves the evening off. They work really hard to get ready for the ball, and I'm not that horrible at cooking," Lauren said.  
  
"What do you mean, 'not that horrible'?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh come off it," she said with a laugh. "You'd eat bundimun (A/N: from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, bundimun is greenish fungus with eyes) if someone told you it tasted good."  
  
"Does it?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Does it what?"  
  
"Taste good."  
  
Lauren made a face. He was hopeless. "Just like chicken," she said sarcastically, sitting up.  
  
"Mmm, chicken," Sirius replied, his eyes closed in apparent reminiscence.  
  
"Okay, we are eating now. I don't think I can stand anymore of your food comments." Lauren stood up and started walking out of the room.  
  
"Fine by me," Sirius said, following behind her. It was all so easy...  
  
"So, what do you want to eat?" Lauren asked once they were inside the huge deserted kitchen."  
  
"Pancakes," Sirius replied immediately.  
  
"Pancakes again?" Lauren repeated, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," Sirius quoted with a grin.  
  
"Pancakes it is," Lauren said as she began to gather the ingredients.  
  
"It's a little lumpy, don't you think?" Lauren noted, tilting her head and watching the batter they concocted drip off of a spoon.  
  
"Er..." Sirius said, "Let's just cook them." This was definitely not going to be a Hogwarts-quality meal.  
  
"Okay," Lauren said as she reluctantly poured some of the batter onto a hot griddle. Then she turned her attention to Sirius. He looked up from where he was drawing on the flour-coated counter, a grin forming on his face.  
  
"What?" Lauren asked softly.  
  
"You," Sirius replied, stepping closer to her, "have something on your face."  
  
"I do? Where?" Lauren asked, trying to look at her reflection on a shiny pot.  
  
He turned her face towards his. "Right here," he said, depositing a streak of flour on her cheek.  
  
"I see," Lauren said, grabbing an egg off the counter.  
  
"If you do that—" Sirius threatened, stopping when she smashed the egg into his chest.  
  
"What are you gonna do about it?" Lauren asked innocently.  
  
"You are in big trouble," Sirius replied.  
  
"I'm scared."  
  
"You should be."  
  
Then he took a fistful of flour and chased her around the kitchen. Soon they were both coated in a gelatinous mixture of egg and flour.  
  
Sirius stopped abruptly, sniffing the air. "Do you smell that?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, no, the pancakes!" Lauren said, glancing over at the now smoking griddle.  
  
They rushed over to the stove. Sirius picked up the handle and tilted the pan. The undersides of the pancakes were completely black.  
  
"Even I won't eat these," he commented as he leaned over to inspect them, wrinkling his nose disapprovingly. "At least we still have more—"  
  
He spoke too soon. Lauren had taken the bowl of batter and turned it upside down over his head.  
  
"Oh. My. God. You did not just do that," he sputtered.  
  
Lauren bit her lip and looked up at him, smiling guiltily. Then she decided it would be best for her to make a run for it.  
  
He seized her waist before she could move and set her on the counter. Then he grabbed a bottle of honey. Without saying a word, he squeezed some onto his fingertips.  
  
"That was a very naughty thing for you to do," he said huskily as he ran a finger over her lips, coating them with honey.  
  
"Yes, yes it was," Lauren whispered before his lips were sliding across hers. She brought her hands up into his batter-covered hair, running her fingers through it.  
  
He soon deposited the rest of the honey elsewhere: her cheek, her jaw line, her neck. And of course he took it upon himself to remove it with his mouth.  
  
Meanwhile, Lauren was using the batter rather like gel, absentmindedly styling his hair. First she slicked it back, next she formed a Mohawk, then she settled on spiking it up.  
  
In his enthusiasm to join her on the counter, Sirius knocked the bowl that had previously held the pancake batter onto the floor. The metallic clatter echoed through the room, snapping both of them back to reality.  
  
"I—sticky—shower," Lauren blurted out, earning a raised eyebrow from Sirius.  
  
He lowered her back onto the ground. They both looked around at the disaster area formerly known as the Walkers' kitchen. Lauren grimaced and reached for her wand.  
  
"I'll take care of it," Sirius replied, his wand in-hand already, due to dueling practices, no doubt.  
  
"Okay," Lauren said appreciatively.  
  
"Aren't you going to eat something?" Sirius asked as she made her way out of the kitchen.  
  
"No, I'm not really hungry. The house-elves probably left some snacks you can have," she replied from the doorway.  
  
"Alright," Sirius said as he watched the door swing closed. Then he exhaled loudly, reaching a hand up to run it through his hair. He drew it back in disgust, however, once his fingers touched the pasty mass on top of his head.  
  
After hurriedly making three sandwiches (two for him) and performing more than a few scouring charms, he headed upstairs. He was definitely in greater need of a shower than she had been.


	16. Explorations

**Siriusly Deluded**  
  
Thanks, reviewers!

Kerichi: I kept laughing at random intervals for almost ten minutes after I read your review! For some reason I don't think Sirius would be opposed to Lauren getting kinky with just about anything ;) It's a little late for him to get her another present, but your suggestion will probably come into play later on.  
  
Padfootz-luvr: Thanks! Sorry, but I'm still going to make you wait...just a little longer. Hopefully this will tide you over...  
  
Failte: Thank you so, so much!  
  
mary lennox: I'll explain the kick in the arse elsewhere, I think...I know, I'm getting rather attached to him as well :(  
  
BlackWiltedRose: Wow, thank you! But...you don't need to bribe me to keep writing, I love writing this story ;)  
  
Doodleflip: Thank you! Groan for overprotective fathers.  
  
Anne-Evans89: Actually, I've never been in a food fight. Sounds fun...but unfortunately we don't have spells to instantly clean up the mess :)  
  
**Chapter 16: Explorations**  
  
Sirius took a long, hot shower, washing his hair repeatedly to get the remnants of the pancake batter out.  
  
He dressed quickly, pulling on a pair of jeans, a white undershirt, and a dark green sweater. He grabbed the sandwich he made for her and strode down the hallway, stopping and raising his hand to knock on Lauren's door.  
  
He gazed down at the carpet as he tapped, but his hand only struck air. He looked up, surprised, and met the eyes of an equally surprised Lauren. Understanding dawned on both of their faces.  
  
"I can't—it was that easy?" Sirius asked in disbelief.  
  
"I guess so," Lauren replied thoughtfully. It seemed too simple, in fact. Her dad had to know that they'd figure it out eventually, unless he doubted their intelligence. But then again, hormone-driven teenagers aren't exactly praised for their well-conceived ideas and level-headed reasoning. And what were the odds of her opening the door the second before he was about to knock on it? But it still didn't explain how she had gotten into his room the day before. 'This must be some sort of loophole in dad's spell,' she thought.  
  
"So...can I come in?" he questioned.  
  
"Oh—apparently," she responded, stepping aside as he entered.  
  
"I brought you a sandwich," he said, offering it to her.  
  
"Thank you," she said with a smile, sitting down on the edge of her bed. He followed suit, looking around the room as she chewed thoughtfully.  
  
"You...shouldn't do hair," Sirius finally said. He had looked in the mirror before showering, and he didn't like what he saw.  
  
She laughed, recalling the state in which she had left his hair. "I thought it was a good look for you."  
  
"And my normal 'look'?" he questioned, flashing a sly grin.  
  
"It's, er...very nice. Thank you for the sandwich. It was really good," she said, changing the subject abruptly.  
  
"You already thanked me," he replied with a smirk.  
  
"I did?" She swallowed hard, clutching her hands in her lap. 'Breathe,' she told herself. Just because they were at her house, in her room, on her bed, completely alone, during one of the most romantic times of the year...it was no need to start getting all nervous and jittery. No, the nervousness was entirely due to the way he was looking at her at the moment.  
  
"Yeah," Sirius answered, scooting closer to her.  
  
"Well it was really sweet of you to—"  
  
He had placed his finger lightly on her lips to silence her. "You're welcome."  
  
"You know I—"  
  
"Talking: bad; snogging: good" he murmured before covering her mouth with his own.  
  
"We can't do this...here," Lauren said breathlessly after pulling away. She watched as disappointment passed over his features, almost immediately replaced with hope. He appeared to have had some sort of epiphany. "What?" she questioned in a soft voice.  
  
"You still haven't seen my apartment," he said simply.  
  
"You want to go there?" she asked hesitantly. She wasn't sure if that was the best idea.  
  
He nodded expectantly, standing up and grabbing her hands. He pulled her along with him across the room.  
  
Lauren slowly opened her eyes after landing forcefully in Sirius' fireplace. She had definitely been witness to the grandeur of the Black mansion before, but she didn't really know what to expect. His mother had definitely been in charge of the decorating of that dark house.  
  
She took in the spacious room in front of her. The carpet was pure white. A scarlet couch and ebony furniture stood out starkly. She thought he had good taste.  
  
Sirius arms tightened around her as he stepped forward. "Do you like it?" he asked softly. Lauren nodded, the back of her head lightly hitting his chest.  
  
They collectively took the next few steps towards the couch, where Sirius collapsed on top of her. They kissed fervently for a while, but then Lauren placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him away gently. Sirius looked at her with a confused expression, his fingers still twirling idly in her hair.  
  
"What am I going to say when people ask me about your flat and I never even made it past the couch?" Lauren asked.  
  
Sirius laughed and pulled her up from the sofa.  
  
"As you wish, my lady, I shall give you the grand tour of my humble abode," he said with mock gallantry, bowing low. She curtsied primly and took the arm he offered to her.  
  
He led her to a door on the far left side of the room they were in. "This is the kitchen," he said as he opened the door ceremoniously.  
  
Lauren looked around at the immaculate room. She didn't know whether to be impressed by its cleanliness or make fun of him for never having cooked...or having a rather sexy food-fight there.  
  
Then he led her out a set of French doors onto the balcony. They stood there for a while, watching people saunter by on the icy, glistening downtown-London street in several floors below.  
  
"Wow, you have a wonderful view," Lauren said as she leaned over the railing, straining to hear a group of carolers.  
  
"Yeah, I do," Sirius replied, never taking his eyes off her.  
  
Lauren blushed. 'Whoever thought Sirius would be so romantic?' she mused. That was the last coherent thought in her head, as Sirius suddenly swept her up in his arms, carrying her back inside. He slammed the doors shut and walked swiftly towards a door leading to a room Lauren hadn't seen yet. She didn't make a sound. She wasn't sure why. She wasn't sure about much of anything at the moment.  
  
He flung the door open and carried her to the bed in the center of the room, laying her down gently on it. He stared at her for a second, making her heart turn in her chest and her fingers tingle. Then he did something she didn't quite expect: he tore his eyes away from hers and sat on the edge of the bed, staring down at the floor instead.  
  
She pulled herself up to a sitting position and crawled over to him. He raised a hand and stroked her cheek lightly, soliciting a quivering sigh from her. Lauren grabbed his face in her hands, planting a kiss firmly on his lips. She knew her parents would absolutely kill her (after killing him, of course) if they knew where she was...but being there with Sirius felt so...oh, she didn't know...so right.  
  
He groaned and pulled her close to him as he bent his face down to nuzzle her neck. A soft moan escaped from her lips, but after a while, she used a hand to tilt his head up, desperate to feel his lips on hers again.  
  
After falling sideways onto the mattress, they kissed for several minutes, but then Lauren started tugging at the hem of Sirius' sweater. Sirius broke away from her, confused at first, but getting the not-so-subtle hint once he looked her in the eyes. He ripped it off and threw it across the room, then kissed her again. Apparently, she wasn't satisfied, because she began doing the same thing to the undershirt he still had on. He groaned again, letting go of her as he yanked the shirt over his head and threw it down.  
  
Lauren let out a slight whimper as she ran her hands over his chest. Sirius suddenly decided that she had on entirely too much clothing as well. He propped himself up on his side so he was facing her. Then he gingerly placed his hand on the zipper of her navy-blue velour jacket, never taking his eyes off hers as he pulled it down slowly.  
  
Lauren felt nerves building in her as Sirius unzipped her jacket, his hand lightly grazing her breast as he did so. She experienced the most intense twisty feeling in her stomach that she had ever felt at that moment.  
  
Sirius used one arm to pull Lauren away from the bed as he peeled the jacket off her, revealing a pale yellow tank top, which he thought complimented her tanned skin nicely. He lowered her back down and began kissing her again. He was very surprised when Lauren pulled away from him.  
  
He looked down at her in puzzlement. She was staring straight up into his eyes, but she slowly ran her hands from his shoulders to his waist and back up again. He shivered in response, but he thought he knew why she stopped. He firmly grabbed the bottom of her shirt in each hand, looking at Lauren for assent. She nodded almost imperceptibly, and he kissed her softly, pulling his lips away as he gently pulled the shirt over her head and threw it harshly against the wall in the same direction as his abandoned jumper.  
  
Meanwhile, Lauren lay back down on the bed.  
  
Sirius looked down at her, his eyes traveling over her body slowly. She was wearing a lacy white bra. Her skin seemed to be flushing under his gaze. He placed his hand on one of her ribs, tracing it with his fingertips down to her waist.  
  
Lauren shivered as he touched a sensitive part of her stomach. She pulled his head down for a kiss, clinging to his back with her other hand. After a while, Sirius broke away, looking at her questioningly with his now darkened blue eyes. She stared into them as she covered his hand with hers, leading it from her waist to her breast. He let it rest there for a second, and she gasped when he squeezed slightly. She took a deep breath as he moved his hand over to repeat the motion. She closed her eyes, thinking she had regained control (of her breathing at the very least), but inhaled sharply when she felt his lips touch the skin right above the lace edge of her bra.  
  
"You're so beautiful," he murmured as he lowered his head to kiss her sternum. Lauren felt tears spring to her eyes. She tried to hold them back, but one tear from each eye fell and landed on her chest. Sirius looked up at her when his lips touched a wet spot. "What's wrong?" he asked gently, his expression concerned.  
  
Lauren shook her head, trying to smile as she said, "Nothing's wrong. Everything's right. It's just that...I love you so much...that it scares me sometimes." Lauren cursed herself inwardly. Why couldn't she keep her mouth shut? She hoped that he wouldn't be frightened away by her admission.  
  
Sirius hesitated for a second. He had been planning on telling her this tomorrow at the Christmas Ball...but then he gazed into her eyes and said softly, "I love you more than I ever thought I could love anything in the world. I think I've loved you since the day I met you."  
  
Lauren felt the tears gather in her eyes again. Guys were supposed to live in mortal fear of the dreaded "L-word," but Sirius had just said it three times in one breath. She exhaled shakily and then laughed as Sirius wiped away the now falling tears with the pads of his thumbs. They shared a sweet kiss, soft and slow and full of emotion.  
  
Without thinking, she ran her hand along the waistband of his jeans, stopping at the silver button. Sirius glanced down at where her hand was resting. Then he looked back at Lauren, who was gazing at him with curiosity in her eyes. Sirius paused. Did she know what she was doing to him?  
  
He sighed when he realized that his pants were suddenly much too tight anyway. He let go of her and slid off the bed slowly. He stood up and took off his jeans, stepping out of them before he climbed back onto the bed. He was clad in only a pair of very festive green and red striped boxers. He felt Lauren's gaze travel over him, rather appreciatively if he said so himself.  
  
He lay back down beside her, more unsure of what to do than he was accustomed to feeling. Lauren scooted closer to him and extended her arm. Then, closing her eyes, she began to slowly slide her hand down the side of his torso.  
  
Sirius raised a surprisingly steady hand to her lips, then traced a finger down from there, barely touching her skin. She opened her eyes instantly and gazed at him, a strange expression gracing her features. Her hand lay motionless on his waist, gripping ever so slightly.  
  
He slowly brought his hand to the top of her jeans, but hesitated yet again. He wasn't sure if she was okay with it...until Lauren squirmed eagerly under his touch. He unbuttoned her jeans slowly, revealing white satin and lace underwear. He ran his fingers across them softly before he started moving down to the foot of the bed, pulling her pants along with him, Lauren instinctively raising her hips to accommodate his movements. When they were also tossed onto the floor, he slid one hand from her ankle all the way to her waist as he stretched his body over hers. "Bloody brilliant," he whispered softly into her ear before capturing her lips in a mind-blowing kiss.  
  
When they came up for air, Sirius laid his head down on Lauren's chest, breathing shallowly. "And this is the bedroom," he said between gasps. Lauren rolled her eyes. Then she tangled her hands in Sirius' hair while her breathing slowed to a regular pace. Soon they were asleep.  
  
A few hours later, Lauren awoke with a start. She tried to sit up, but something was pinning her to the bed. She glanced down at Sirius, who was fast asleep, his head cushioned by her chest. He looked like he was in heaven—she sighed—and he probably thought he was.  
  
Sirius groaned as his pillow moved underneath him. Then he was confused. His mind was still foggy from sleep, but he was pretty sure that his pillow usually didn't move. He was too tired to care, though, and he had been having a very nice dream, so he used his hands to try to keep it in place.  
  
Lauren's eyes popped open in shock when Sirius shifted. If he hadn't been in heaven before, he most definitely was now. She raised one hand and thumped him soundly on the back of his head.  
  
"Hey!" Sirius complained loudly at the rude awakening. He opened his eyes, gazing up at Lauren in confusion. She merely stared back at him. Then he looked down at where his hands were currently resting... "Erm, sorry 'bout that," he said embarrassedly as he quickly brought his arms down to his sides.  
  
"Yeah," Lauren said quietly as she avoided eye contact with him. She was feeling a little weird about the whole situation. Not regretful, she had enjoyed every second of it...just uncomfortable. "We, ah, should leave. We need to be there when my parents come back."  
  
Sirius didn't need any more explanations, and jumped up to start dressing hurriedly. He was positive that Lauren's father would kill him if they were both mysteriously missing from their beds, let alone if he knew about what had happened earlier that night.  
  
Lauren also began to put her clothes back on, though in not so quite a frenzied manner as Sirius. She was looking around for her jacket when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned slowly and saw Sirius standing behind her, holding the jacket. She extended her hand to take it, but he shook his head, stepping closer to her. She smiled as he reached his arms behind her back and put it on her himself.  
  
Then he took her hand gently and led her back into the living room.


	17. Explanations

  
  
**Siriusly Deluded**

READ THIS: Soo, in response to several reviews I received for chapter 16, I wrote this chapter/interlude. It was totally unplanned, completely spontaneous. So, while clearing up some confusion, I will also bide myself a little more time in writing the next installment (in which I absolutely promise they will exchange gifts and I am almost certain that the ball will take place) So anyway, on with the chapter, which I feel is duly titled. (Review responses are at the bottom)  
****

**Ch. 17: Explanations**  
  
On Christmas morning, Sirius was rather excited. In fact, he was so overwhelmingly excited that he jumped out of bed, ran down the hall. Without even pausing to consider the fact that he wouldn't be able to open her door, he burst into her room. Then, once he was inside and the door was closed behind him, he turned around, confusion written all over his face. This was the second time that one of their doors had been opened with no explanation of how or why.  
  
Shrugging off the desire to solve the nagging mystery of the cursed (yes, cursed; Mr. Walker might have used a charm, but Sirius was convinced that it was a curse, set in order to bring utter desolation and unhappiness into his life...he could be a little overdramatic at times) doors, he walked over to the side of Lauren's bed. He pulled aside the sheer white curtains and gazed at her sleeping form longingly, lovingly.  
  
Excitement about opening presents tossed aside momentarily, his thoughts returned to the night before, in his apartment. He didn't know what had come over him. But when he looked over at her out on his balcony, something inside of him snapped. He wasn't overcome with lust. He didn't want her, didn't need her—at least not in the way that those words were normally used. He just wanted—needed—to be with her.  
  
And when he saw that cute, familiar blush rising up her cheeks at his words, he just couldn't fight it anymore. He had involuntarily swept her off her feet and carried her straight to his bed, very impatient with everything that had so wrongly been in his way. And when he looked down at her, lying there on his bed, he snapped back out of whatever strange universe which he had occupied for the few minutes prior.  
  
He had sat down on the edge of the bed, resting his spinning head in his hands, trying to make sense of all he was feeling. When she crawled over to him, he couldn't help it. He had to touch her face. Her soft, lovely, beautiful face. She was the one who grabbed his face and kissed him soundly. Well, maybe he was the one that caused them to fall back onto the mattress...but other than that, everything else had been all her. She'd practically begged him to divest himself...and later her own body...of nearly all of their clothing. And he hadn't complained, hadn't denied her request. God, she was amazing. Her skin was softer than he could have ever imagined and she had curves that he could have never hoped to dream about. She was absolutely, bloody perfect. And when he leaned over her and kissed her, he felt her happiness...her satisfaction...her love for him, of all people. And that's why, when they broke apart after that amazing kiss, they hadn't done anything else. Sure, it would have been easy to have sex. It would have been very easy—they were already three-quarters of the way there. But he'd always done what was easy, and he refused to do that with her. She'd changed him in so many ways, most of which she'd never know. Not that he wouldn't tell her...he'd try...but he had this feeling that he wouldn't be able to explain it. And when Sirius Black had a feeling—really, one of those sensations stemming from somewhere deep inside of him that he just knew was undeniably true—it was right, always.  
  
He shook his head to clear his thoughts and padded across her room, his footsteps cushioned by the plush white carpet. He stood next to her bed, just watching her sleep as if it were the most fascinating sight he'd ever beheld...and he was pretty sure that was the case. Especially when he noticed that the way she was splayed on the mattress—half on her side, half on her stomach, her top leg bent slightly—it looked like she was just waiting for someone to hold her. And he was very much up to the challenge. He gingerly climbed onto the bed, scared to wake her. She made an adorable, nearly imperceptible moaning sound...but he heard it all right. He froze in response, pausing. When she didn't open her eyes, he gently lowered himself next to her. He'd barely had time to think when she instinctively moved towards him, her face now buried in his chest (which was bare...he realized happily when he felt her warm breath caressing his skin) and her legs entwined with his own. He wrapped his arms around her contentedly. Presents could wait. This was the best Christmas gift he could ever hope to receive.  
  
Lauren woke up to find herself feeling very warm. She opened her eyes and her brow furrowed in confusion when all she could see was a smooth, tanned surface. Without even thinking, she pressed her lips against it. Somewhere in her mind she knew it was him, but she just hadn't realized it yet.  
  
"Happy Christmas," Sirius said softly, suddenly awakened by the feeling of her soft lips against his chest. "Mmm, Happy Christmas," she replied, sliding her body even closer to his. He sighed and tightened his hold on her.  
  
They lay there in silence for a few minutes until Lauren shifted suddenly, pulling her torso away from his so she could look him in the eyes. He gazed down at her expectantly. "I—last night...I'm sorry we didn't—I didn't mean to..." He must think that she was the worst kind of tease.  
  
"Don't apologize," he said, pulling her back to him. She buried her face in his chest once more as he spoke. "It's okay that we didn't. What we did do, on the other hand, was nothing short of amazing." He paused when she emitted a short, soft laugh.  
  
She started again, her voice meek and self-reproachful. "But I led you on. Wasn't it hard for you to—"  
  
He cut her off, speaking firmly. "You did not lead me on. I didn't expect anything to happen." He paused again, hesitant to answer her unfinished question. "But...yes...it was difficult ('hard' was not the appropriate word, not at all) not to...make love to you." The last few words came out very choked, because she was staring into his eyes once again.  
  
Lauren opened her mouth slowly and said, "I'm so sor—"  
  
He silenced her once more, raising a finger to her lips. "I thought I told you not to apologize," he said gently. "I'm through with taking the easy way out."  
  
Those all-too-familiar tears began forming in the corner of her eyes, but she blinked her eyes furiously and they vanished. She smiled up at him. "God, I love you," she said slowly, her eyes half-closed.  
  
"The name's Sirius," he retorted with mock indignation.  
  
She slapped his arm in response and turned her back to him, apparently moving to get out of the bed. He was feeling a little playful, so he rolled with her, stopping when his knees were planted firmly on either side of her waist, rendering her trapped underneath his body.  
  
"But I love you anyway," he said, staring soulfully into her eyes. She returned his gaze, but he watched with amusement as her eyes traveled lower as she appraised him, a silly smile on her face.  
  
"Like what you see?" he asked, smirking.  
  
"Very much so," she replied softly, that ridiculous grin still adorning her features. She didn't know where he got the idea to wear those flannel pajama pants without a shirt, but it was the best idea he'd had in a while. And his hair was messed up—either from sleep or her having run her hands through it the night before, she wasn't sure...He looked absolutely adorable.  
  
"I told you that you'd want to unwrap me on Christmas morning," he reminded her teasingly.  
  
"I remember," she replied, her eyelids fluttering closed when he lightly brushed the side of her face with his fingertips.  
  
He leaned down to kiss her, closing his eyes as well. He opened them in surprise, however, when his lips touched her hair. He just realized that she had turned her head to the side when he heard her whisper into his ear, "Morning breath."  
  
He groaned and whispered back harshly, pressing his lips against her neck, "Do you think I care?" Honestly, he spent at least one night a month as a dog. Apparently that was the problem.  
  
"Not me—you," she said, highly amused by his candor. He smiled in spite of her jab and began to nuzzle her neck. There were many other parts of her body that he could kiss instead...  
  
"Lauren!" Edward Walker's voice boomed through the house. Though it seemed strangely magnified in her room (at least in Sirius' hazy mind). He sighed and rolled off of her, landing gracefully on the floor.  
  
"I guess I'll go get dressed. Meet you downstairs?"  
  
"Yeah," Lauren replied softly, a hint of disappointment in her voice.  
  
Sirius quickly exited the room.  
  
What he didn't know was that this time, it was Lauren who was admiring his pajama-clad body. 'And what a body it is,' she thought evilly, sinking back into her pillows and emitting a happy sigh. Then she pulled herself up and got out of her bed, ready for the eventful holiday ahead.

Thanks, reviewers!

Cintly: Yeah, "mary" has told me about you. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. Hope I can keep up with your picky standards.

Padmez: Thank you! I know exactly what you mean. Mmm, Sirius...er, gotta go!

lelegurl9: Hehe, yup, very intense.Thanks a bunch.

Kerichi: Yeah...Sirius really understands the finer parts of life, doesn't he? Thanks to the damn air conditioner, my room is always hot...maybe it inspires me ;) My typing fingers are just fine, thanks. And I'm one of your fave authors? Wow, thank you so much!

Highlanderfanatic: You're one of the people who inspired this chapter ;) I'm impressed by your diligence in trying to figure it out. Thank you!

Xialou: Hehehe. Thanks!

Padfootz-luvr: You must hate me...I'm making you wait even longer! Thanks for your consistent reviews :)


	18. Presentations

**Siriusly Deluded**

Oh, I am soo, sooo terribly sorry for taking this long to update. It's just, I've been feeling rather angsty lately with all the stuff going on in my life and it's so hard to write Christmas scenes when it's so ridiculously hot outside! But hopefully this chapter (which is 20! pages) will make up for the wait.

Kerichi: Lol, yeah, he's pretty controlled (but according to the whole "base" thing, I think they were only halfway there). And it's definitely a view I'd want to admire...

Highlanderfanatic: Thanks so much! Sorry I made you wait so long!

Xiaolu: Good, I was hoping it would clear up the confusion! Again, sorry for the wait!

Attara: Well, thanks so much for reading and I'm so flattered that it's your fave! All of you guys are making me feel guilty for waiting this long to update!

Padmez: Thanks! Yeah, I'm getting jealous of her, too.

Lelegurl9: Thank you! Yeah, wouldn't we all like to hear what guys are thinking? I updated...not soon...but I updated!

Anne-Evans89: Aw, thanks, people usually don't call me funny! More fluff is definitely on the way!

ZebraStripedFlamingo: Thanks for the heads-up! Interesting name, by the way...

Paige-rossi-black: Yeah, I know. Sorry about that. I originally had McGonagall there, but my beta suggested that I use Dumbledore (who would've found it more amusing), and I just forgot to change "Transfiguration Professor" to "Headmaster." It's fixed on

**Ch. 18: Presentations**

After a rather uneventful brunch (except for the exchange of nervous glances between Sirius and Lauren when a house-elf mentioned the shortage of certain cooking ingredients—namely flour and eggs—in the kitchen), they all moved into the living room, where a fire was crackling in the fireplace. There was a fir tree in the corner of the room with many festively wrapped presents underneath.

Lauren's parents sat down on the couch near the tree. Sirius and Lauren flopped down on the floor with their backs to the fireplace.

After all of the other gifts were opened, Lauren watched as Sirius got up from the floor and picked up something that had been previously concealed behind the tree.

He caught her eye as he walked back over to her, gently placing a basket with a red blanket draped over it into her lap.

Lauren grinned up at him as he sat beside her and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before she lifted up the blanket.

Inside the basket was a dark grey kitten with the (second) most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen.

"Oh," she breathed, gently picking up the kitten from the basket and kissing it on the nose.

Sirius grinned at her reaction. She was smiling uncontrollably as she talked to the kitten in this cute little voice.

"I couldn't decide between this one and an orange one. But Lily said that I should get this one. She...she said...she would remind you of me." Why was he so nervous about saying that?

"I love her. She does remind me of you," Lauren replied, catching Sirius' subtle affirmation that the kitten was indeed female, as she had suspected immediately.

"I guess it's the dark fur and blue eyes," Sirius commented, scooting closer to her and reaching out a hand to pet the kitten, which was draped on it's back over Lauren's arm, already fast asleep.

"Yeah, that...and she's cute...and sweet..." she murmured, looking up at him. He leaned towards her to listen to what she was saying.

"...and adorable..." she said, now gazing up into his eyes. Their faces were mere inches apart.

"..and—" Lauren never finished, having been cut off by the distinct sound of a throat being cleared. Mr. Walker's, no doubt. Sirius had pulled back from her instantly. Lauren, however, bravely sent a glance of annoyance towards her father as she reluctantly leaned away from Sirius.

He watched their exchange with strange curiosity, wondering if he would be the one to pay for her defiance later.

Mrs. Walker sliced through the suffocating tension in the air when she asked cheerfully, "Lauren, what are you going to name her?"

Lauren smiled immediately and gazed down at the kitten lovingly. Sirius found himself wishing that he transformed into a kitten rather than a dog...and reminded himself that thoughts such as that were not very manly...and therefore that desire would not be voiced to anyone. James just wouldn't understand how much he wanted Lauren to cradle him in her arms at that moment. Well, maybe he would...except it would be Lily doing the cradling.

"I don't know," she murmured finally. She raised her eyes to Sirius' and gave him a look that said otherwise—that she already had a name picked out—he just didn't understand why she wasn't going to announce it yet.

Lauren gently handed the kitten to him, then stood up and walked over to the pile of presents. She picked up a red-and-gold wrapped box from the ground and set it in front of Sirius.

He put the kitten back inside the basket and pulled Lauren down beside him. She gave him a nervous smile, her eyes darting back and forth between his eyes and the box.

Sirius grinned and tore open the gift eagerly; tossing the wrapping paper aside and wrenching open the box.

He frowned slightly when he saw that a note was resting on top of the tissue paper. Now, Sirius usually didn't bother reading the cards before opening the present, but he figured that Lauren wouldn't appreciate that. So, he read the note quickly:

Sirius,

I will give you your _real_ present later.

Love, Lauren

After stopping a rather dirty train of thought about what that might mean, he glanced over at her confusedly. She indicated for him to go ahead and open the present, but he gazed at her for a few more seconds before lowering his eyes back to the box.

He pulled something black and shiny out of the covering of tissue paper slowly, his eyebrow furrowing slightly.

"It's...um...a leather jacket," Lauren explained hesitantly. She knew it didn't make much sense without the rest of his present. But for some reason, she didn't think that her father would approve of—

"It's cool," Sirius said truthfully, pulling off his jumper and putting on the jacket over his white t-shirt. He looked down at himself appraisingly. He decided that he rather liked it.

Lauren on the other hand, decided that she rather _loved_ it. As he looked down, his hair fell into his eyes and it surprised her just how much she felt like tackling him at the sight.

And of course he chose that moment to suddenly look over at her and ask, "How does it look?"

She gave an incoherent, strangled response, a furious blush rising quickly up her cheeks. He raised an eyebrow and flashed his trademark smirk.

"I think it looks very nice," Mrs. Walker said encouragingly from across the room.

Sirius removed his attention from Lauren and thanked her for the compliment. Meanwhile, Lauren's face returned to a semi-normal temperature.

That is, until he leaned back over to her and whispered, "Thank you," in her ear.

Lauren's parents left the room to settle the final details of the ball, leaving Lauren and Sirius alone in the living room. She immediately crawled over to him and grabbed onto his collar, pulling his mouth to hers.

"What was that for?" he asked breathlessly after she broke away from him.

She shrugged and smiled back at him. "Do I have to have a reason to kiss you?"

He grinned and gently pulled her into his lap. "Of course not."

As they kissed, his hands slowly crept downwards from her waist, slipping into the back pockets of her jeans.

"Sirius," she mumbled warningly against his lips.

He sighed into her mouth, sliding his hands upwards before bringing them to rest around her waist again.

When they pulled apart ten minutes later, Lauren sighed as she stood up, then held out her hands to help Sirius off of the floor.

He grinned up at her and took her hands, but easily jumped up off the floor.

Lauren picked up the basket and they headed out of the living room and up the stairs, hand-in-hand.

"So, what's her name?" he asked softly once they reached the landing.

"Oh...Ashes, I think."

Sirius smiled. "That's a good name." The kitten was the same color as soot.

"Yeah, it reminds me of fireplaces...of last night..."

He leaned close to her. "You want another reminder of last night?" he asked seductively.

"Maybe." She licked her lips without even realizing it.

"Okay," he said resignedly, turning away from her and walking back towards his room.

She sighed exasperatedly and set the basket gently on the floor. "Where are you going?"

He turned back around and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, if you aren't sure—"

She ran towards him and flung herself into his arms, cutting him off with her lips.

"I don't know if I'm convinced yet," he said breathlessly when she pulled away.

"You sure sound like it," she retorted with a smirk, disentangling herself from him and dropping to the floor. "I'm going to get ready for the ball."

Sirius sighed loudly and turned to go into his room. Why did girls take forever to get ready? If he had to, he could shower and dress in ten minutes. Glancing at his watch, which flashed, "You have time to kill," before showing the time, he rolled his eyes and opened his door. What was he going to do for the next three hours? Deciding that sleep, one of his favorite activities anyway, was the best way to go, he pulled off his jeans and fell onto the bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

Meanwhile, Lauren took a hot bubble bath, reliving in her mind the events of the night before. She still couldn't believe that Sirius wasn't mad at her. She wasn't an expert on guys, but she was pretty sure that most would have been angry in that situation. But...he loved her. He'd finally told her that he loved her! That was by far the best moment of her life. She sank further into the bubbles and squealed like a little girl for the first time in a long time. She couldn't help but continually picture Sirius in his boxers. Even in the dim light, she could see how amazing his physique was...

Lauren suddenly realized that she'd been in the bath for a while and glanced down quickly at her fingers, sighing in relief when she saw that they hadn't begun to look like prunes.

She stepped out of the bath and toweled herself off before pulling on a dressing robe and sitting in front of her mirror.

"Someone looks happy," it commented cheerfully.

Lauren couldn't hold in the grin that spread across her face in response. "He loves me," she said happily.

"And who wouldn't, dearie?" the mirror replied.

Lauren laughed. Her mirror was just a little too flattering. Kind of ruined the whole purpose of a mirror, really. So much for brutal honesty. Or just honesty in general.

"The ball's today," Lauren finally said, reaching for her comb and running it through her hair absentmindedly.

"Lauren!" the mirror called loudly, snapping her out of her reverie.

She shook her head. "What? What's wrong?" she asked quickly, concern etching her forehead.

"You've been combing your hair for the past fifteen minutes. If you don't stop, it might fall out."

Lauren's hand immediately stilled and she guiltily set the comb on the counter.

"Don't tell me, you were thinking about him," the mirror commented knowingly.

She nodded, flashing a guilty smile.

"Oh, honey," the mirror said in a disapproving voice.

"What?"

"You have some food in your teeth."

"What?!" Lauren placed her head in her hands, feeling like she would die of embarrassment. She had just kissed Sirius. Of course he'd noticed.

"I was just kidding."

Lauren snapped her head up to her reflection and narrowed her gaze. Her mirror picked this moment to suddenly obtain a sense of humor? She picked up her comb and shook it threateningly at the glass. "Don't do that to me," she said, her voice betraying the emptiness of the threat.

"Oh, dear, I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist."

Lauren smiled at the apology and said, "Just help me get ready for the ball. I want to look really good."

"When I'm finished with you, darling, he won't know what hit him."

Lauren laughed, but her expression grew serious as they got down to business.

An hour later, Lauren's hair and make-up were complete. Her dark hair was swept into an elegant up-do, with tendrils framing her face delicately. Tear-shaped diamonds dangled from her ears and a matching necklace hung around her neck. Her eyes were lined more thickly than usual, her eye shadow was smoky, and her lashes were coated with a thickening and lengthening mascara. Lauren had been rather pleased with the result. They were by far her favorite feature. A dusting of blush accentuated her cheekbones and her lips were coated with a sheer gloss.

She was just pulling her dress out of the closet when she heard a light knock on her door. She carried the garment bag over to her bed and set it down.

"Lauren," her mother's voice called, "I was just wondering if you needed any help."

"One second, mum," Lauren replied, walking quickly over to the door and opening it.

"Oh, Lauren, you look beautiful," Mrs. Walker gushed as she stepped inside.

Lauren blushed and closed the door behind her. She didn't think she'd ever not be embarrassed whenever anyone said that to her. "Thanks, mum. I was just getting out my dress." When she turned back around, she glanced at her mother's dress. "Mum, so do you," she said.

"Oh, this old thing?" Mrs. Walker questioned jokingly, smoothing her hands over the navy blue skirt. Lauren suddenly realized where she got that habit from.

"Okay," her mom said, making her way to the bed and gently pulling the gown out of the bag. Lauren stopped behind her, realizing that it was the first time she'd seen the dress since it was finished. It looked even better than the design. It was a rich shade of red, not very different from the Gryffindor color or Sirius' couch...The fabric was silk, and Lauren could tell just by looking at it that it was incredibly soft.

Mrs. Walker held up the gown and helped Lauren put it on. It was strapless, with a slightly curving neckline rather than just cut straight across. The diamond on her necklace fell to about two inches above the top of the dress. The bodice had boning; giving it the appearance of a corset, but fortunately it wasn't as constricting. It did make her waist look very small, though. The skirt was full, spilling out from the v-shaped waistline and gently grazed the floor when she had her shoes on.

When she was fully dressed, her mother motioned for her to turn around. Lauren obeyed, twirling slowly.

"Hmm," Mrs. Walker said thoughtfully before conjuring up a rose blossom, the exact same shade as the dress. She smiled approvingly and Lauren bent down slightly as she fastened it to her hair.

"Thanks, mum," Lauren said. "How was your special night?" she asked.

"Oh, it was wonderful," her mother replied. "Your father is so romantic."

Lauren smiled. She hoped that one day her marriage would be like her parents'.

"What did you two do?" Mrs. Walker asked.

"We studied for a while," Lauren began. "Then we made dinner, and...kissed a bit." She stopped abruptly, suddenly overcome with guilt for having to lie.

"That's all?" her mother questioned.

A slow smile spread across Lauren's face. "Well, he told me he loved me," she said softly.

"Oh, he did?" Mrs. Walker replied. "Was that the first time?"

"Yeah..." Lauren answered, trailing off. She still hadn't asked him—

Her mother's arms were around her, hugging her tightly.

"You know, I could tell that he loved you from the second you two stepped off the train. The way he looks at you..."

Lauren smiled and pulled away from her mother, wiping a tear off her cheek quickly and noticing that her mother was doing the same thing.

"Look at us, mum. We're going to look horrible before the ball even starts!" Lauren also inherited her tendency to cry at every little thing from her mother. The tear-shaped diamonds were no coincidence.

"Okay, love. I'm going downstairs before the guests start to arrive. See you soon."

"Bye, mum."

Lauren walked into her bathroom and inspected her reflection one last time.

"Sirius doesn't have a weak heart, does he?"

"No...why?" Lauren asked confusedly.

"Because he'll be in danger of having a heart attack when he sees you, that's all," the mirror explained.

Lauren laughed and waved goodbye before she headed out of the room.

Sirius was currently waiting patiently at the bottom of the staircase for Lauren. He had met up with Mrs. Walker in the hallway and she told him that Lauren would be down soon.

He glanced down at his black (with red and gold accents...he was very loyal to his house) dress robes, checking to make sure that they weren't still horribly wrinkled. Of course he hadn't thought to take them out of his trunk, so they had laid in there at the bottom of a crumpled pile of clothing for the past few days. He'd had to perform several ironing spells in his attempt to smooth them out.

When he glanced up again he saw Lauren standing at the top of the stairs.

Lauren walked down the grand staircase slowly. Not to be dramatic, just to make sure she didn't take a spill down the stairs and rip her gown.

When she was close enough to see Sirius' expression, she held in a smirk. His jaw was practically on the floor.

"Hi," she said softly when she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Wow. You look...wow," was all he said, was all he _could_ say.

Lauren blushed and looked down, smoothing her dress with her palms.

"I mean, that dress is just...wow." Sirius felt like slapping himself. He wanted to say so many other things—words like gorgeous, stunning, incredible, lovely were flying around in his mind—but it seemed like the only word his mouth could successfully form was that three letter palindrome.

Lauren, who had looked up when Sirius started speaking again, smiled at him and bit her lip to keep from laughing.

He smiled back and nervously ran his hand through his hair.

She pulled his arm down and smoothed his hair back into place, whispering, "Don't turn into Potter on me now."

He nodded and grinned at her, remembering that James, Lily, and Remus were coming to the ball.

"By the way," she whispered, leaning close to him again, "you look incredibly hot."

For what he was pretty certain was the second time in his life, Sirius blushed. Recovering quickly, he offered her his arm and they headed off to the ballroom.

When they entered the huge room, a huge mass of people, mainly comprised of ministry officials, was milling about in front of them.

Sirius carefully steered Lauren through the crowd, hoping to catch sight of a familiar face.

The first people they saw were Lauren's parents. Lauren gave her father a quick kiss on the cheek and a hug to her mother. Sirius shook hands with Edward in greeting before he was pulled into a hug by Mrs. Walker.

They moved on and quickly spotted Remus and Karen, who were sitting at a table and talking quietly. Understanding dawned in Lauren's mind. She should've known that Karen liked him. She could have done something about it, too.

"James!" she suddenly heard Sirius call loudly from beside her.

Soon James, dragging Lily behind him, reached them. He and Sirius immediately clapped each other on the back, grinning madly, before starting to talk eagerly.

Lily and Lauren both looked at their boyfriends with eyebrows raised, then turned to each other and rolled their eyes.

"It looks like he's happier to see him than he is when he sees me," Lily commented jokingly.

James apparently heard her and turned to the girls immediately, flashing Lauren a winning smile before wrapping his arm around Lily.

Lauren suddenly felt herself being enveloped from behind by a pair of strong arms. She turned her head to the side to look behind her, and found Sirius' face beaming back.

"Thought I forgot about you?" he whispered into her ear.

She closed her eyes and shook her head.

He pressed a kiss to her temple and murmured, "Good, because I never will."

She couldn't keep a huge grin from spreading across her face at his words.

"This is just sickening, don't you agree, Remus?"

Lauren felt herself being turned in the direction of the sarcastic voice, not at all surprised to see a smirking Karen, standing next to Remus. Lauren's brows knitted as she noted the strange expression on his face.

She pulled herself out of Sirius' arms and hugged Karen. Then Lauren turned to Remus and smiled.

"Thank you for the cloak," Remus said softly, that same emotion playing across his features. She still couldn't place it.

She smiled, hoping he liked the all-weather cloak she'd picked up for him at Madam Malkin's. His just seemed so...worn.

"You're welcome," she replied. "Thanks for the dog biscuits," she said with a laugh.

He laughed, too, before replying, "I thought with Padfoot staying at your house, they might come in handy. It won't be long before he consumes your entire stock of human food."

"Someone talking about me?" Sirius asked, jumping into their conversation.

Remus and Lauren laughed again before Sirius repeated the greeting he'd had with James once more with Remus.

Meanwhile, Lauren took a step closer to Karen and leaned over towards her friend.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a crush on Remus?" she whispered, her tone half-amused and half-accusing.

Karen giggled nervously, shocking Lauren completely. Karen simply did not giggle.

"Did you just giggle?" she asked incredulously.

"Oh, sod off," Karen replied with a grin, her eyes darting around Lauren, indicating for her to look behind her.

Sirius was standing there patiently.

Lauren turned around and he clasped her hand in his as he led her over to the table that Karen and Remus had been sitting at earlier.

He pulled out the chair next to Karen for her, and she smiled up at him as she sat down. She didn't even realize that he had to move the chair over slightly so to prevent her from ending up sitting on the floor. She did wonder about the bemused smile he'd had on his face while he sat down beside her.

"They got good food here, Padfoot?" James asked from across the table, winking at Lauren.

Sirius glanced over at Lauren, his foot nudging hers gently under the table before he replied, "Excellent food."

"Awesome," James replied happily, looking at the one of menus that suddenly appeared before them.

"How does this work?" Lily asked, slightly confused.

"Oh, well, just say, 'I'll have the' and then whatever you want to eat," Lauren explained, smiling at Lily, who nodded in understanding.

Sirius, of course, had already figured this out and by the time she glanced over at him, he had everything on the menu sitting in front of him.

"Sirius!" she said incredulously.

"What?" he replied. "I couldn't decide."

"Biscuits," Remus reminded Lauren.

"Huh?" Sirius asked confusedly. "There's biscuits on the menu? I didn't get any of those..." he trailed off as he surveyed the dishes again.

Lauren's face hurt from trying to prevent herself from bursting out laughing. It seemed that Remus was struggling with the same task.

She glanced over at Sirius, who was happily tucking in to his exceedingly large meal, before picking up her fork and starting to eat herself.

After a while, Lauren got a strange feeling. She suddenly looked up from her plate, catching Sirius staring at her. She smiled at him and leaned over, looking into his eyes.

"The food is going to disappear in fifteen minutes. You better eat it now." she told him. She was actually serious. Whenever the dancing started, the tables would be cleared.

Sirius continued to gaze at her. He just couldn't tear his eyes away. Besides, he could eat all of his food in five minutes flat...and maybe some of hers.

"What, Sirius?"

"You...your eyes," he said slowly, leaning towards her. "You look so...sexy."

Lauren blushed and glanced down at her lap.

Sirius reached out his hand and tilted her chin up to him, "That was even sexier," he whispered.

"If you two are done proving the existence of some sickening force of attraction, maybe the rest of us can go back to eating dinner instead of trying to overcome our gag reflexes," a dry voice suggested from beside her.

"Karen!" Lauren exclaimed, looking at her friend in disbelief.

Karen let out a snort of laughter at her expression and soon the rest of the table was laughing as well.

Lauren was glad that she was able to conceal the fact that she and Sirius were engaged in a rather...eager game of footsie for the rest of the meal.

Not surprisingly, Sirius did manage to eat all of his food before the music started. When it did, he jumped up immediately and asked her to dance.

She laughed at his enthusiasm, but leaned against him happily as he led her out onto the dance floor.

"Do you know how many evil glares I'm getting?" Sirius whispered into her ear after a while.

"What? Why?" Lauren asked, glancing up at him quickly. She was upset. There were a lot of Slytherins at this party, due to the Walker's pure-blood and the fact that several parents of their classmates worked for the ministry.

"Because I'm dancing with absolutely the most gorgeous girl in the room," he explained with a grin.

"Oh," Lauren murmured, closing her eyes and returning her head to his chest. She inhaled deeply, then tilted her face up to his.

"You smell really good," she told him softly before returning to her position.

"So do you," he replied, resting his chin on the top of her head as they swayed to the music.

After a while, Lauren pulled away from him slightly and asked, "You want to go outside?" before looking down shyly.

Sirius immediately stopped dancing and clutched on to her hand more tightly before leading them through the sea of dancing couples.

"Which way?" he asked when they were near the door to the foyer.

She smiled at his eagerness and took the lead, taking him through a set of French doors and onto a balcony. She stopped and turned to him when they were near the railing.

Sirius, however, didn't even glance at the scenery. He reached his hand up and gently twirled one of the tendrils of hair framing her face around his finger, smiling at her. "I like this," he said. "Makes up for the fact that I can't run my fingers through your hair."

Lauren frowned, realizing the truthfulness of his statement. She hadn't really thought about that. But it probably wasn't the most appropriate thing for him to be doing at a ministry event anyway.

She used her hand to pull his face down to hers, and she murmured against his lips, "You can later," before kissing him softly. A voice in her head told her that kissing him wasn't entirely appropriate either, but she dismissed it.

He was grinning like a madman when she pulled away from him. She shivered slightly and snuggled into him.

"Are you cold?" he asked softly.

She nodded against his chest.

"Maybe we should go back inside?" he suggested.

Lauren shook her head emphatically, causing him to laugh before sliding his palm further around her waist and wrapping her in his arms. They danced in a slow circle, completely oblivious to the party inside and the snow that was starting to fall lightly around them.

Sirius opened his eyes, blinking when he saw the snowflakes glittering at him.

"Hey, it's snowing," he said softly.

A smile spread slowly across Lauren's face. "Really?"

"Yeah." He watched as a snowflake landed on her bare shoulder and melted slowly. And he realized that an excess of that would probably cause her to get a cold.

He removed his hands from her back and she shook her head slightly, whimpering softly as she burrowed into him further.

He sighed and put his arms around her once again, then scolded himself. He couldn't let her get sick because he was selfish.

"You're going to catch a cold," he told her softly.

She gazed up at him and smiled as he took her hand in his and led her back inside.

"You want something to drink?" he asked once they entered the ballroom again. "Butterbeer?"

She grinned and nodded. A butterbeer sounded perfect.

Sirius walked towards the table where the refreshments were. He met James halfway and they got into a discussion about Sirius' stay at the Walkers'. Eventually, the conversation steered itself towards the events of the night before.

"So...you're telling me...that you and Lauren were kissing in your apartment last night, wearing just your underwear...and you didn't shag her?" James asked incredulously. "How can you have that sort of willpower? If I saw Lily in just her knickers..."

"I don't know," Sirius said truthfully. "I mean, we'd never talked about it. It just kind of happened that we ended up there...that way. I didn't plan on taking her to my apartment to seduce her or anything like that. She was the one who started the...clothing removal. I just didn't push her to do anything more. I love her too much to—"

James suddenly looked at Sirius expectantly. "You did tell her that, right?"

"That I love her?" Sirius asked, glancing at James, who nodded. "Yes, last night."

"Good," James said. He had been starting to get a little worried about his previously relationship-challenged friend.

They both reached for a couple butterbeers and grinned at each other before making their way through the room back to their girlfriends.

Meanwhile, Lauren, Lily, and Karen were having a discussion of their own.

"Last night Sirius and I went to his apartment and we started kissing and one thing led to another..."

"What?! You and Sirius...had sex?" Lily questioned.

"No!" Lauren exclaimed. "We ended up falling asleep in his bed...wearing just our undergarments."

Lily laughed. "And just how did that happen?" Karen asked with a smirk.

"Oh, you know," Lauren said dismissively.

"Actually, I don't. Care to explain it to me?" Karen asked.

Lauren squirmed uncomfortably.

"We're just kidding," Lily said. "You don't have to tell us. But you should know that most guys wouldn't be able to stop themselves the way that he did."

Lauren smiled. "I'm lucky, I know. I just hope that he doesn't think I'm a tease," she said honestly.

"I'm sure that he was happy with what happened," Lily reassured her. She laughed, then said, "I bet he liked it more than his Christmas present."

Lauren laughed. "Maybe," she said thoughtfully.

"Speaking of presents, what did you think of your kitten?" Lily asked.

A huge grin spread over Lauren's face. "Lily, she is the most adorable thing I've ever seen. She definitely reminds me of him. Thank you so much for helping him choose her."

"Sirius got you a kitten?" Karen asked.

Lauren smiled even bigger. "Yeah, she's adorable. You have to see her when we get back to school."

"By the way, what did you get Sirius? James wouldn't tell me," Lily said.

"Oh I got him a—" She stopped when she suddenly heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Talking about us, I hope," James said when he, Sirius, and Remus (who had joined up with them on the way) reached the group of girls.

"You know it," Lily replied before James swept her away into the crowd of dancing couples.

Sirius and Lauren glanced at each other for a second before approaching Remus and Karen.

"Would you care to dance?" Sirius asked Karen, executing an exaggerated bow. Karen laughed and glanced over at Lauren, who nodded and smiled.

Lauren asked Remus if he wanted to dance and he smiled back at her before they made their way onto the dance floor as well.

"So you've got it bad for Remus, huh?" Sirius asked Karen once they started dancing.

Karen's eyes grew huge. "What are you talking about?" she sputtered unconvincingly.

"Come off it. I can tell," Sirius said firmly.

"Okay, so what if I do?" Karen replied, slightly miffed by her apparent...transparency.

"I just want you to know..." Sirius trailed off. This was not going to be the easiest conversation in the world.

Karen looked up at him expectantly, her brow furrowing.

"...he's not ready yet."

"Oh, I see. You don't think he likes me?" Karen asked him bitterly.

That reaction was exactly what Sirius had been trying to avoid. "No, I'm sure he likes you. But he thinks that he shouldn't. You have to be patient. He won't want a relationship now. He probably thinks that he never will. But if you want to be with him...you'll have to wait."

Karen swallowed the dose of reality hard and nodded her head. "Thanks for telling me that." She hadn't realized that Sirius was so thoughtful.

"Well, I want him to be happy, you know? And I don't want you to get hurt. I think you'd be good together." Sirius replied honestly.

Karen nodded again. They danced the rest of the song in silence.

Meanwhile, Lauren had no idea how to approach the same subject with Remus. She didn't have the same advantage as Sirius did by actually being friends with him.

"Remus?" she asked softly, looking up at him.

He glanced down at her for a second, then looked away quickly. She noticed the tears shining in his eyes, however.

"Remus, are you okay?"

He swallowed hard and nodded.

"You want to talk about it?" she asked gently.

He shook his head and Lauren gave him a reassuring smile before she looked away and glanced around the room.

She saw Sirius and Karen dancing together, and noted that Karen looked just about as happy as Remus did. So much for her attempt at matchmaking...

When the song ended she gave Remus' hand a squeeze before letting go. Sirius soon stepped in and they both watched as their friends awkwardly started dancing.

Whenever he was dancing with Lauren, Sirius noticed that a lot of people were watching them. They all had these knowing smiles on their faces. Sirius caught a man's eye as he whirled by with his wife. He looked strangely familiar. The man nodded towards Lauren and winked. That's when Sirius placed him. He was one of the men that went to the balls when they were younger. Sirius rolled his eyes slightly. They all knew, even then...He and Lauren had wasted much too much time apart from each other.

Eventually the ball ended and they all said their goodbyes and expressed their gratitude for the presents they'd all opened earlier in the day.

By midnight, the ballroom was empty, save for Sirius, Lauren, and the Walkers' "staff."

Sirius and Lauren volunteered to help clean up, but the house-elves insisted that they go to sleep, practically pushing them out into the foyer, where Lauren's parents were seeing off the last of the guests.

Lauren hugged her parents goodnight and they all wished each other happy Christmas before Lauren and Sirius headed upstairs.

Sirius walked Lauren to her room, and she turned around suddenly.

"What is it?" Sirius asked, concerned.

"I think I...figured it out," she replied hesitantly.

"The doors?" Sirius asked hopefully.

"Yeah. What were you thinking about when you came in my room this morning?"

Sirius paused to think about it. "I wasn't thinking much, I was too excited."

A grin slowly spread across Lauren's face. "When I went in your room, I wasn't thinking much either, I was too scared."

"Oh..." Sirius replied, catching her train of thought. "So it's like, an emotion charm?"

"I think so," Lauren said.

"Okay, let's try it." Sirius caught her off guard as he kissed her hungrily, completely dismissing any thoughts that surfaced. He pushed the door handle. Not surprisingly, it didn't move.

Lauren laughed. "I don't think that's the kind of emotion that's gonna get you in my room," she said teasingly. "Well, as long as the lock is deciding," she added softly. Suddenly, an idea struck her. "Do you want your present?"

"Yeah!" Sirius replied excitedly. He grabbed the knob eagerly and it turned, allowing them entrance into her room.

Then he realized what she'd done. "How did I end up with such a smart, smart girl?" he asked her once they were inside the room and the door was closed.

"Hmm, I don't know," Lauren said, walking over to her dresser and opening up the top drawer.

Sirius watched in anticipation as she made her way back over to him, holding something in the palm of her hand.

"So, Happy Christmas," she said, placing a gobstone in his hand. He looked at the object incredulously, the expression still on his face when he looked up at Lauren.

She laughed and took it back out of his hand, walking over to the middle of her floor and placing it on the floor.

She pulled her wand out and backed up as she said, "Finite Incantatum."

Sirius grinned as his eyes traveled over the motorcycle that suddenly appeared in her room.

He jumped up and ran over to Lauren, picking her up off the ground as he kissed her gratefully. "That's my present?" he said excitedly.

"Yeah, you like it?" she asked, laughing.

"It's perfect!" he replied before kissing her again.

"Do you mind if I...?" he asked when he pulled away.

"Of course not!"

He put her back on the carpet softly and practically skipped over to the motorcycle, running his hands over the chrome as he inspected it.

"Do you know how cool this is gonna be when I put some spells on it?"

She laughed again. "That's what James said."

"This is so awesome," he said softly, but she heard him and smiled.

"Promise me one thing, though," she said.

"What?" he asked.

"That you'll still study for your NEWTs."

He laughed. Of course she'd think of that.

"Okay, I promise...as long as you'll study with me."

She liked that condition. Very much.

She grabbed her pajamas from her dresser and went into her bathroom to change. She was still taking off her necklace when she came back into the room.

"Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" he asked after his eyes flicked over her body.

"I didn't think you'd notice," she said, smiling.

"Of course I noticed," he said, walking over to her. He gently pushed her hands away from her neck and clumsily unclasped her necklace for her. "How do you get these things off?" he asked frustratedly. She laughed, but knew that he'd want to do it himself, so she stood there patiently as he fumbled with it.

He finally got it off and walked away, placing it on top of her dresser before walking back over to her and reaching his hands up into her hair, gently pulling her hair out of its style.

"That's better," he said softly as he ran his fingers through it, causing her to sigh and lean into him.

She was none too happy when he suddenly pulled away and gazed up at him in confusion.

"I'm going to go change," he explained before giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Okay," Lauren replied, sighing as she sank down onto her bed.

Meanwhile, Sirius opened his room and was painfully reminded of earlier that day, when he'd discovered that his robes were wrinkled and he'd thrown his clothes around in frustration. He dug through the piles of clothes, trying to find his pajamas. He finally found them and pulled on the flannel pants and white t-shirt, then started putting the remaining clothes back in his trunk.

Lauren had started to worry about him and opened the door just as he was getting up off of the floor.

"Sorry," he said, walking over to her.

"It's okay. I was just getting a little worried," she replied, looking past him.

"What's that?" she said laughingly.

"What's what?" he asked, praying that she hadn't seen—

"Those things on the floor," she replied, walking past him quickly.

He took a deep breath and turned around, watching as she leaned down over the matching objects.

"They're slippers," he said embarrassedly. Well, actually, they were puppy-dog slippers, which the other Marauders had bought for him as a gag gift when he'd finished the Animagus transformation. He'd actually grown quite fond of them over the past four years, and guiltily so.

"Oh, Sirius," Lauren said, standing up and walking back over to him.

"I know, I know, stupid, huh?"

"No, adorable," she replied as she closed the distance between them.

Lauren put her hands on his waist and grabbed the hem the t-shirt that he probably shouldn't have bothered to put on, not even stopping to ask him before pulling it over his head. He didn't mind, of course.

"Lauren?" he questioned in a low voice.

"Mmm hmm?" she replied, running her hands over his chest slowly.

He closed his eyes. "I love you," he whispered.

"Love you, too," she murmured back.

He picked her up off the floor and carried her over to the bed. She lay down and he pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her. She snuggled into him and listened to his heartbeat until she fell asleep. He drifted off soon afterwards.


	19. Questions

Siriusly Deluded

Reviewers, thanks again!

Doodleflip: Thanks! Yeah, she want to tell her parents b/c she wanted to make sure that Sirius knew why she was naming the kitten that. Being not such a good liar, she thought that she might incriminate herself.

lelegurl9: Yeah, she does have the best boyfriend ever! If only a guy like Sirius existed in reality at all!

Attara: Thanks! I love kittens, too!

Highlanderfanatic: Hehe, thanks! Only two weeks for this one

Padfootz-luvr: You crack me up! Haha, I'm gonna keep you on the edge of your seats about that question...(they will eventually...) By the way, how old are you? Not all relationships end in sex! Abstinence, people!

Black's rules: Hey, no problem! Thanks so much!

Kerichi: Yup, the second most beautiful blue eyes indeed. Ah the foreshadowing of your review...Hehe, thanks!

paige-rossi-black: Thanks! Yup, perfection...but we all know life is gonna get tough for them...(I am feeling very sorry for the Marauders right now)

Ch. 19: Questions

When Sirius woke up, he found Lauren already awake and gazing up at him.

"Good morning," he said sleepily.

"Good morning," she replied.

"What're you doing?"

"Just watching you, thinking" she answered him, drawing on his chest lazily.

"Uh oh," he joked, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her face.

She was so tired that she didn't even notice what he'd said.

"What were you thinking about?" he finally questioned her softly.

"Um, well, I was thinking about that night before Hogwarts," she told him.

Sirius frowned, not wanting to enter this dangerous territory with her when they'd been having such a good holiday. He cleared his throat and asked, "What about it?"

"I might have been dreaming, but that night, did youâ€say thatâ€you loved me?" she asked hesitantly.

Sirius sighed in relief. "Oh...yes I did."

"Really?" she asked, a huge grin threatening to spread across her face.

"Really," he answered softly. "I did love you back then, even though I didn't want to admit it to anyone. And I still loved you all through school, even though I really didn't want to admit it to myself."

She slid upward so their faces were level and whispered, "Me, too." Then she kissed him softly. He responded gently while sliding his hands down to her lower back. He stroked the exposed skin there lightly and she sighed into his mouth before pulling away and resting her head on his chest. His fingers continued the motion, pausing only when she murmured something incoherent about his heartbeat and music.

They had a very late (and large, in Sirius' case) brunch in the dining room before settling into studying again, at Lauren's insistence. Sirius really didn't have a choice. It wasn't snowing outside and the existing blanket of white on the ground was getting rather dingy and slushy. James would hex him if he started working on the motorcycle without him, and as much as he would have liked to, he couldn't spend the whole day lying (and occasionally doing a few other things) in bed with Lauren.

After several hours of reading, he was quite through with studying for the day. Having glanced discreetly at the book she was reading, Sirius exaggeratedly closed his book and sighed loudly.

She glanced over at him, but didn't say anything.

So, naturally, he sighed again.

"What's wrong, Siri?" she asked him, for the first time voicing the shortened version of his name she had been batting about in her brain for a while now.

He paused, smiling at the nickname before explaining with a pout, "I forgot my Muggle Studies book back at school."

"Well, I'm reading the chapter right now," she said. "You can use my book when I'm done."

He pulled his famous puppy-dog expression as he wheedled, "But it's the only thing I have left to do."

"Oh, okay. I'll just work on some Potions while you—"

"I don't think that will be necessary," he said, cutting her off as he slid closer to her.

"But you said—"

He placed a finger to her lips, silencing her once more.

"How about we try this?" he suggested, picking her up from the couch and scooting into her former position before lowering her into his lap.

"Oh," Lauren said softly, realizing that she could be awfully dense sometimes. She shifted into a more comfortable position before opening the book back up and beginning to read.

And she was making surprisingly good progress until Sirius leaned forward a little, placing his chin on her shoulder to more closely examine a diagram at the bottom of the page.

She turned the page slowly, giving him time to stop her in case he hadn't finished reading yet. Apparently the fact that she was turning the page was not at the forefront of his mind, since he pressed a light kiss to her shoulder as she did so.

She froze, the page still between her fingertips, until his warm lips were no longer making contact with her skin. But his chin was still resting on her shoulder.

She absently scanned the pages, sure that she would have to go back and read them again later. Sirius was a fast reader, and kept up with her pace, and once beat her to the end of a page. Taking advantage of the pause, he tilted his face down and kissed her neck softly.

From then on, he made it into an unspoken game. Whenever he finished reading a page before her, he'd kiss her as a reward to himself. Of course, he also hoped that she'd just give up on the stupid assignment (it was Muggle Studies, after all, who cares?) and just snog him already.

Her eyelids fluttered closed when his lips touched her skin after she finished reading the last page of the assignment. Sirius watched out of the corner of his eye as her hands drooped and the book slid softly out of her lap and onto the carpeted floor as he continued to make a trail of kisses up her neck.

"Why is it that we never get any studying done when we're around each other?" she asked quietly as she leaned into him, her eyes still closed.

"Oh, I get plenty of studying done," Sirius murmured against her neck, "just not from books."

"I see," Lauren commented absently.

"For example," Sirius began, "I've studied you and found out that you have one freckle on your neck, two on your left shoulder, and one on your right shoulder." He kissed each of the aforementioned freckles in turn.

"I've also discovered that you have the smoothest skin," he continued as she turned to face him, gently caressing her cheek.

"And that you have flecks of black in your eyes," he added as he gazed into them. She watched as his eyes began to sparkle.

He slid his hand slowly down to her waist. Then he began to speak very softly, and she had to lean into him even more to hear what he was saying as he slid his hand under her shirt slightly. "And that you're ticklish right...here."

Her eyes widened and she gasped as his fingers brushed the skin right under her rib cage. She jumped up immediately in fear of a tickling attack, and rightly so. He looped his arms around her waist quickly, pulling her back to him. But she fought valiantly and wriggled out of his grip. He slid off the couch gracefully and ended up landing on her when she tripped in her haste to get away from him.

"Ow!" They said it simultaneously. Her knee was in his stomach and his dead weight hit her like a ton of bricks. He recovered more quickly than she did, pulling himself up so he was straddling her, thereby trapping her beneath his knees.

"Please," she begged when he looked at her, an evil grin spread across his face. He ignored her request (or in a way, complied with it, since she didn't add the "don't" at the end) and brought his fingers to her waist, tickling her maniacally.

Tears of mirth were streaming down her cheeks and her stomach ached from laughing so hard. "Sirius. Please. Stop." she begged. He was merciful, pausing to kiss her temple, her forehead, her cheeks between her words.

He was mid (tickling) assault when the door swung open. "And just what is going on in here?" her father's voice asked loudly.

They were so scared that they didn't notice the hint of amusement in his voice. They simply stared up at Mr. Walker in wordless fear, mouths gaping open, frozen in place. They knew the position they were in did not appear very innocent.

He chuckled as he took in their reaction and let the door swing shut, calling back to Sirius as he left, "Try her feet."

"DAD!" Lauren yelled in exasperation as Sirius' lips instantly morphed into that same evil grin.

"Your feet, huh?" he said, holding her down between his knees as he reached his arm backward.

"No," she said defiantly, biting her lip in preparation. She would _not _laugh.

"You sure?" he asked softly as he slid his hand down her shin.

"Yes," she breathed. She was lying, of course, and she didn't know quite how she did it when he was looking at her and touching her like that.

He gripped her ankle tightly, then slid one of his fingers lightly against her heel.

"That doesn't tickle, huh?" he interrogated her quietly, fully aware of the fact that she visibly shivered.

"No," she answered, truthfully. That wasn't where—

He brushed two fingertips along the arch of her foot.

"Ah," he murmured when she gasped in response.

She took advantage of his loosened hold on her and scrambled out from under him. He grabbed at her and pulled her into his lap.

Her feet were in close proximity, and he held onto her waist firmly as he used his recently acquired knowledge.

She was gasping to breathe from holding in the laughter and not having any other option; she placed her chin on his shoulder. Then he simultaneously tickled her stomach and her feet, and she was a goner. She burst out laughing, spraying saliva all over his neck.

"Hey," he cried indignantly. He wasn't disgusted though. Honestly, it's practically the same thing as kissing his neck. They don't call it swapping spit for nothing.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," she said softly into his ear. God, she was so embarrassed. She'd just spit on him. How attractive.

He shuddered. She was smart enough to deduce why. She looped her arms around his neck and lifted her head slightly, blowing on his ear lightly.

A shiver in response, and he tightened his grip on her waist when she did it again, biting his lip hard. Once more, and he let out a short bark of laughter, cut off when she boldly tugged on his earlobe with her teeth.

"Merlin," he groaned, and he turned his head to the side to kiss her properly.

And kiss her properly he did.


	20. Resolutions

Siriusly Deluded  
  
Alright, first I'm gonna apologize to all my readers: I am so, so sorry. It's been exactly a month since I updated and I feel really, really bad. I've been pretty busy with school...But, you might be happy to know that the story is up to a hundred thousand words (only about half of which are posted so far). I'm a really impulsive writer, inspired by random events. The story is full of holes, and this was one of them. And now it's filled! The next chapter will be up much, much sooner, I promise!  
  
As always, thanks to reviewers:  
  
Doodleflip: Hehe, yup, Sirius is evil, tickling her feet like that. Bad, Padfoot, bad!  
  
Failte: Thank you so much! As to the extent of this story, I certainly plan on following Sirius all the way to Azkaban and beyond! (Or is that my Buzz Lightyear story? j/k)  
  
Padfootz-luvr: Actually, a lot of people believe in abstinence. It really isn't a Christian thing per se, as several other major religions (Judaism and Islam, for example), include this concept. The Bible, if I recall, doesn't necessarily mention abstinence either, it's more of an extension of the morals taught. But anyway, I'll just say what I have to say about Sirius and Lauren. They will have sex. I promise. I've already written the "first time" scene (not to mention a few others, if you must know).  
  
Mary lennox: Fine, fine (grumbling). It wasn't that hard, but still...Hehe. Anyways, I fixed the funky ellipses.  
  
lelegurl9: No, killing Sirius was JKR's job :(  
  
Attara: Thank you!  
  
Kerichi: Hehe, I'm a Biology major...and if Sirius is involved, human anatomy sounds very worthwhile as well! Ew, suck on her toe? Yuck! She'd kick him if he tried!  
  
Emerald eye: Thanks! Yeah, I'm sure Sirius has a sweet side in him; he seems like the type of guy who'd be all macho with his friends but a total sweetheart with his girl. Yay! I love fluff! (Obviously) Hehe, I didn't mean to tease you with Chapter 16...but I won't say that I'm not gonna tease you later...  
  
melian-the-queen: If only Sirius were real, the world would be a much happier place! Hehe, kinda funny being bowed to by a "queen"! It'll definitely go through to that fateful Halloween night, if not more (perhaps to the end of OotP).  
  
A.K. Anomynous: Well, sorry! (hehe). Believe me, whenever I have free time, I write this story (I've completely given up reading other fanfics for this purpose). But, I write random scenes, skipping around in their relationship. So, sometimes I end up with these gaping holes. This chapter fills one of them. I hope it wasn't too dirty, because it gets worse (or better, perhaps)...  
  
Prongs: Why, thank you! And I agree wholeheartedly! Geez, pairing Sirius and Remus together should be a crime, taking them away from all their fangirls! And I hate it when Sirius is just some man-whore who shags everything in a skirt!  
  
katemary77: Thanks! Here ya go!  
  
hannahbanana616: Wow, my first "you better update" review. Don't worry, it hasn't been abandoned.  
  
Chapter 20: Resolutions  
  
They spent the next few days mainly in the house, lying in bed for a while after waking up to talk and joke around as well as kiss.  
  
He convinced her to play wizards' chess with him (she was never really fond of the game), but eventually their arrangement to reward her with kisses whenever she made a successful move turned into a full-fledged snogging session in the living room. Of course, Sirius _might _have intentionally sacrificed a few pieces...  
  
They spent most nights talking in front of the fireplace, his head usually resting in her lap as she ran her fingers through his hair while they talked about everything and nothing at the same time.  
  
Before they knew it, it was New Year's Eve.  
  
That morning at breakfast, Mrs. Walker was chatting brightly (and incessantly) to no one in particular. Mr. Walker was reading the newspaper next to his wife, and would occasionally lower the paper and make faces across the table at Sirius and Lauren.  
  
Then, out of nowhere, Maria stared straight at Lauren and Sirius and asked, "So, have you two made your New Year's resolutions yet?"  
  
Lauren and Sirius exchanged discreet glances. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd made, let alone kept, any resolutions. And she was pretty sure that he'd never made any. He wasn't one to follow self-imposed limitations, or _any_ limitations, for that matter.  
  
"Of course," they said in unison after a second's hesitation.  
  
Mrs. Walker smiled in response, then continued talking about whatever she'd been talking about before. Lauren couldn't really remember, nor was she able to pay that much attention, because Sirius hand was now on her leg, caressing her thigh slowly.  
  
Her mother broke the spell when she got up from the table, saying, "I'll see you later. Have fun!" before making her way out the door.  
  
"She's cheerful this morning," Lauren observed, perhaps a bit later than she would have if Sirius' presence was causing her brain to malfunction.  
  
Mr. Walker laughed, finally putting down the newspaper. "I think she's had about ten cups of coffee to make sure she stayed up until midnight this year. She woke me up at six this morning and started telling me how much she likes slinkies. I don't even know what the heck a slinky is! And then she making me come up with a resolution by tonight."  
  
The three of them laughed heartily. Then Mr. Walker got up from the table, saying "I think I better go make sure your mother isn't reorganizing our closet...again. Don't have _too_ much fun."  
  
Lauren laughed and said, "Bye, Dad."  
  
"See you later sweetheart."  
  
"Wow," Sirius commented when they were alone. "Remind me to never let you drink coffee...unless I need my closet reorganized...Well, actually, you wanna get some coffee go back to my apartment? I never really finished unpacking..."  
  
"No," Lauren said laughingly, swatting him on the arm. He gave her a look of feigned innocence.  
  
Suddenly he asked, "So, what's your resolution going to be?"  
  
"I don't know," she replied.  
  
He grinned. That's what he had been hoping.  
  
"Sirius, I know that face. And I'm going to say right now that I don't want anything to do with-"  
  
He cut her off by pressing his finger to her lips.  
  
"I think we should make resolutions for _each other_," he suggested, emphasizing the last two words.  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"Yes." It seemed like a grand idea to Sirius, if he said so himself.  
  
"What if I don't like the one you make for me?"  
  
"Oh, you'll like it."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Positive."  
  
"Okay, then," she conceded. "I'm ready."  
  
"You already thought of one for me?" he asked, clearly surprised.  
  
"Yes I did."  
  
"I'm impressed."  
  
"You should be."  
  
"Are you going to stop making smart comments and tell me?"  
  
She smirked before saying, "Maybe."  
  
He sighed in frustration and decided he would go first.  
  
"Okay," he said. "Raise your right hand and say-What?"  
  
She was staring at him incredulously, her expression clearly asking, "Where do you come up with this stuff?"  
  
He took her hand and raised it into the air. Her fingers laced into his immediately, and he decided that that was a minor, forgivable departure from the swearing process he'd seen on muggle television.  
  
"Now say, 'I, Lauren, resolve to snog Sirius silly every day this year.'" He looked at her expectantly.  
  
She snorted in response, stopping herself when she saw his hurt expression and repeating the statement quickly.  
  
"Sirius, what kind of resolution is that?" she asked when she finished.  
  
He flashed his trademark smirk before answering, "The kind where we both benefit."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "You better hope that my mom doesn't ask us what our resolutions are."('Especially if my dad is around,' she added silently).  
  
"So? Aren't you gonna tell me what mine is?" he wheedled.  
  
"I'm afraid the one I made for you isn't quite as...beneficial."  
  
His face fell a little, but he held his hand up eagerly.  
  
"I, Sirius, resolve to stop playing pranks on and hexing people for fun," she said, raising her eyes to his challengingly.  
  
He stared at her, shocked. "Except the prank for graduation, right?" he questioned in disbelief.  
  
"Is anyone going to get hurt or embarrassed?"  
  
He hesitated before saying, "Well..."  
  
"Sirius!"  
  
"Fine. I, Sirius, resolve to stop playing pranks on and hexing people for fun," he repeated all in one breath, his eyes boring into hers the whole time.  
  
They continued eating in silence for a few minutes, until Lauren turned to him and asked softly, "Siri, are you mad at me?"  
  
He sighed and ran his hand through his hair before answering, "No, not really. It's just...I haven't even played that many pranks this year and you still think that I..."  
  
Lauren closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Great, now she'd hurt his feelings. "Sirius, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way..."  
  
"It's okay...Here, you can make it up to me by getting a head start on your resolution," he said, scooting his chair close to hers, then pulling her into his lap. He bent forward and placed his lips on hers, and she slid her arms around his neck, twining her fingers into his hair. The sheer intensity of his kisses weakened her, and she leaned until her back was against the table.  
  
She broke away from him, however, when she noticed that her shoulder blade was in his unfinished breakfast. Of course the day she happened to fall into his plate was the one day he didn't clean it.  
  
"Er, Sirius?"  
  
"Hmm?" he asked, his lips against her neck.  
  
"Your breakfast is on my baaack," she struggled to explain as Sirius tilted her chin up and placed his lips against her throat.  
  
"Mmph," was his muffled reply, as he was simultaneously speaking and sucking on her pulse point.  
  
Lauren didn't know what he'd said, but what he was doing felt amazing and she rather agreed with him.  
  
New Year's Eve was usually a quiet affair at the Walker's house, which was understandable with all the work that came with hosting the Ministry Ball annually.  
  
But, as Sirius was never the "quiet affair" type, he convinced Lauren to go back to the ice-rink with him.  
  
"Whoa," Sirius said once they got there. Maybe this wasn't one of his better ideas (since Sirius never had a _bad_ idea, of course). It was absolutely crawling with people. The crowd on the rink was so thick that Sirius could barely see the icy floor. And to make matters worse, there was a disproportionately large amount of children there. Why, Sirius couldn't surmise. It was ten o'clock at night. Didn't these kids have bedtimes?  
  
After putting on their skates (Sirius tied his own this time), they slowly made their way onto the ice. Lauren took his hand and pushed off, and they easily fell into the rhythm of the heavily-trafficked rink.  
  
A few young boys went whizzing past, yelling, and Sirius winced. Had he been that annoying at that age? Lauren was probably the person who'd give him the most truthful answer, but he was pretty sure that she'd say that he _had_ been that annoying, so he didn't ask.  
  
"Geez, why are there so many kids here?" he asked instead.  
  
"Aw, Sirius, they're not that bad. They're kinda adorable, really..." Lauren replied, watching a little boy and girl skate by, holding hands much like she and Sirius were.  
  
She spoke too soon, however, because a boy of about seven decided it would be rather fun to smack Sirius in the leg with a hockey stick the instant she finished her sentence.  
  
Sirius grabbed onto Lauren at the unexpected assault, and she, unable to support his weight, fell down, pulling him on top of her. The crowd of skaters parted as they passed by, watching the couple with mixed expressions, some of interest, some of longing, some of disgust ("Gross!" a passing boy said loudly).  
  
Lauren and Sirius didn't notice any of it. After landing on the ice, Sirius said sarcastically, "Oh, yes, _pain_fully adorable." She smiled apologetically, and their eyes locked as if pulled by a magnet, and even though the ice was freezing against her back, she just couldn't bring herself to tear her gaze away from him. They remained that way until the ice, melting under the heat of her body, started to seep through Lauren's jacket.  
  
"Sirius, I'm...melting," she said, for lack of a better word.  
  
Sirius laughed and stood up carefully, grabbing onto the rail as he pulled Lauren up with him.  
  
After a few more minutes of skating, Lauren turned around and skated backwards so she could face Sirius, who immediately pouted, hoping to elicit a sympathetic response from her for his hockey-stick-induced injury. She smiled up at him, and he gazed back down at her silently before sliding closer and tightening his arms around her.  
  
"This is rather dangerous, don't you think?" Lauren queried, her voice muffled by his navy blue jumper.  
  
"I suppose," Sirius said, reluctantly letting go of her and leading her over to the side of the rink. Once there, he kissed the tip of her nose before immediately pulling her into a hug again. She sighed and clung to him, paying attention to the feeling of the cold breeze rushing over her back and the heat radiating from Sirius' body in front of her. His heartbeat was faint, slowed by the cold and barely audible through several layers of clothing, but she pressed her face to his chest and inhaled deeply as she listened intently.  
  
After a few minutes, the inactivity began to affect Lauren, and she shivered, pushing her body closer to his. He groaned softly at the contact before pulling back. "Maybe we should skate again?" he suggested, a strange expression clouding his eyes.  
  
"Yeah," Lauren said, grabbing his hand and pushing off from the wall.  
  
After circling the rink a few times, Lauren asked jokingly, "So, you think you can skate without holding my hand?"  
  
"Well, yeah...but why would I want to?" Sirius retorted, squeezing her hand tighter.  
  
"Good point," Lauren admitted. That was so _sweet_.  
  
In the center of the rink, which was blocked off by some cones, covered with green paper to make them look like Christmas trees, a pair of trained skaters was practicing. They ran through their routine, performing jumps, lifts, and spins flawlessly and completely in sync.  
  
Lauren watched them wistfully. She wished she had that kind of athletic ability.  
  
Sirius had followed her gaze and he asked, "You wanna try that?"  
  
Lauren cocked an eyebrow at him. "I don't know if that's a good idea..." Let's see...this was his second time skating, and she had the grace of a stampeding hippogriff.  
  
"Come on, you know you want to."  
  
"Alright. But don't you dare lift me. I don't fancy getting dropped on my arse from six feet up."  
  
He gave her a hurt look that said, "You don't think I'm strong enough to lift you?"  
  
She turned so she was skating backwards, facing him again. Then she reached out her free hand and ran it across his chest, silently telling him that that wasn't her opinion at all.  
  
He smirked and suddenly twirled her so she was skating forward again.  
  
Unfortunately Lauren was rather unprepared for his spontaneous action, and let go of his hand to steady herself.  
  
She had only let go of Sirius' hand for a few seconds when Lauren was suddenly dragged into a passing throng of skaters.  
  
By the time Sirius realized that she was gone, she was completely out of sight. He skated around the rink slowly at first, searching for her.  
  
On the opposite side of the rink, Lauren was doing the same thing. Her height was a disadvantage, and she could barely see two people ahead of her, but she continued on.  
  
After several minutes of searching in vain, Sirius was getting rather frantic. He'd circled the ice probably a billion times and he still hadn't caught even a glimpse of Lauren. He was one of the taller people on the ice, so it made no sense that he hadn't found her yet. Recalling the article she had been reading on the train, Sirius was struck with a horrible possibility. A crowded public place on a holiday would be the perfect place for an attack by this rising dark force. And Lauren, the daughter of a prominent political figure in the wizarding world, and one known for his cooperation with Muggles, no less, would be a perfect target. Shaking his head to clear the disturbing thoughts, he skated on, searching the passing skaters intently for any sign of Lauren.  
  
After realizing that she had a better chance of finding him by staying put and waiting for him to pass by, Lauren slid over to the side of the rink and grabbed onto the railing. She stared out at the ice, looking for his familiar sweater. After a few fruitless minutes, she suddenly heard soft noise beside her and looked down. A tiny brunette girl was standing against the wall of the rink beside Lauren, and it sounded like she was whimpering quietly.  
  
"Hey, are you okay?" Lauren asked concernedly, kneeling down on the slick ice to look into the little girl's face. She couldn't be more than five, and there was no adult to be seen.  
  
"I can't find Mandy," the girl replied tearfully, bringing up a pair of huge brown eyes to meet Lauren's. Tears were clinging to the girl's eyelashes and running down her cheeks.  
  
"Who's Mandy?" Lauren asked soothingly, gently brushing the tears out of the girl's face.  
  
"My babysitter," the girl said, sniffling.  
  
"What's your name, sweetie?"  
  
"Rebecca," the girl answered shyly.  
  
"Well, Rebecca, I'm Lauren. It's nice to meet you."  
  
The girl smiled weakly and said politely, "You, too."  
  
"I'm gonna take you to the office and they'll find Mandy for you, okay?"  
  
"Okay," the girl said, grabbing onto Lauren's outstretched hand.  
  
"How old are you, Rebecca?" Lauren asked once they started moving along the ice, the girl stabilized between Lauren and the wall of the rink.  
  
"Five," the girl replied proudly, then looked up at Lauren expectantly.  
  
"I'm seventeen," she answered.  
  
"Wow, you're old," the little girl replied in awe.  
  
Lauren laughed and said, "I guess so. Is this your first time skating?"  
  
"Yes," the little girl replied. "Mandy took me here because my parents had to go to a-a gala."  
  
"Oh, I see," Lauren said, angrily wondering what kind of babysitter took a five-year-old skating for the first time on one of the busiest nights of the year.  
  
"Do you go to school?" the little girl asked her suddenly.  
  
"Oh...yes, I do," Lauren answered, feeling sad that she wouldn't be able to tell the muggle girl about Hogwarts.  
  
"Do you like it?"  
  
"Yeah, it's fun," Lauren replied. This year was tough, but Sirius was making all the more enjoyable, and it was nice always having her friends around. "Do _you_ go to school?"  
  
"Not yet," Rebecca answered, "My mommy says I'll start school this year."  
  
"You'll love it," Lauren said, squeezing the girl's hand reassuringly. Even after the short interaction, Lauren could tell by her eloquence that she was incredibly intelligent for her age.  
  
They stepped off the ice and slowly trekked over to the office. Rebecca tightened her hold on Lauren's hand as they approached the teenager at the window, who was blatantly eyeing Lauren.  
  
Shaking off the weird feeling she got when males (except Sirius...who could look at her any way he wanted) looked at her like that, she said "Excuse me, but Rebecca here lost her babysitter. Her name is Mandy. Could you please notify her?"  
  
The boy tore his gaze away from Lauren and looked down at the girl. "Oh, sure," he replied before grabbing onto something, pressing a button, and beginning to speak. The music stopped with a screech and the boy said, "Will Mandy please come to the main office. Rebecca is waiting for her. Mandy, please come to the office." After putting down the object, he looked at Lauren again and said, "You can leave her here if you want."  
  
"Um, I think I'll stay with her. We'll sit on that bench over there," Lauren replied, not wanting to leave the girl and certainly not wanting to be around the leering teenager.  
  
Meanwhile, Sirius had heard the announcement and glanced down at his watch, realizing that it was already 11:50. He awkwardly made his way off the ice, planning to have them call for Lauren over the speakers. He was going to kiss her at midnight if it was the last thing he did. Unless, of course, she was in danger...but he didn't want to think about that.  
  
As he walked just as awkwardly over the normal floor towards the office, a movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention.  
  
Lauren was sitting on a small bench next to a younger girl, who was swinging her pink-skate-covered feet underneath her.  
  
The girl was tiny and brunette and looked a lot like Lauren. In fact, if Lauren weren't so young, one might've thought that she was the girl's mother.  
  
'I hope our daughter is as cu-whoa, hold up there, Padfoot! Who said anything about having children? Besides, we're going to have a son...'  
  
He approached the two, and the little girl looked up at him, smiling shyly. He waved and grinned at her, then knelt down in front of them.  
  
"Hi, what's your name?" he asked the girl, glancing at Lauren and giving her a quick wink.  
  
"Rebecca," the girl answered, blushing slightly.  
  
Yes, Sirius still had a way with the ladies, even miniature ones.  
  
"Well, hello Rebecca. I'm Sirius. Would you mind sitting in my lap so I can sit next to this other pretty girl here?"  
  
"Okay," the girl said softly, blushing further.  
  
"Thank you," Sirius said, standing up and picking up the girl, then sitting back down and placing her in his lap.  
  
He leaned over and gave Lauren a quick kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Are you seventeen, too?" Rebecca asked, squirming around to look at Sirius.  
  
"Why, yes I am. And you are...wait, lemme guess," he said slowly, leaning into Lauren as she whispered into his ear, "five! Am I right?"  
  
"Yes!" the girl exclaimed happily. "How'd you know?"  
  
"Magic," Sirius replied.  
  
"Mandy says magic isn't real," Rebecca said.  
  
"Well Mandy is just a-"  
  
He cut off when two shadows fell across his face. One, a blond teenager was obviously Mandy, who looked like she wanted to know just what Sirius thought she was. The other, Sirius noticed, was a teenage boy, probably his own age, was practically ogling Lauren. Sirius calmly took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to rip out his eyeballs.  
  
"Come on Rebecca," Mandy said tersely. "It's time to go home."  
  
The girl's face fell, and she reluctantly climbed out of Sirius' lap. "Bye," she said sadly.  
  
"Bye," Lauren and Sirius said back, smiling at the girl. Sirius then shifted his attention to the boy, who scampered away under Sirius' glare.  
  
"She's cute," Sirius said when they were alone.  
  
"Yeah, she is," Lauren said, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I think she was rather smitten by you."  
  
"Who could blame her?" Sirius replied with a grin, causing Lauren to slap his arm playfully. A dark look crossed over his face as he said in a harsh tone, "That bloke was staring at you."  
  
Lauren didn't respond, knowing that Sirius wanted to brood a little and wallow in his jealousy. He was weird like that.  
  
He suddenly said, a little angrily, "Where were you? You let go of my hand and then you just disappeared."  
  
"The crowd just pulled me away from you I guess....Sirius, were you...worried?" she asked after turning up to look at him, her eyes narrowing discerningly.  
  
"No," he said quickly, then he sighed as she cocked her eyebrow at him doubtfully. She knew he was lying to preserve his male ego. "Well, yeah," he replied softly. "There's been all those disappearances and I was afraid that..."  
  
She smiled at him and scooted into his lap, wrapping her arms around his torso in a fierce hug. He tightened his arms around her waist and pulled her to him.  
  
"I don't want to lose you," he murmured into her hair.  
  
"You won't," she whispered back.  
  
People around them started counting down the seconds until the New Year would start. Sirius, though blissfully unaware of the time, did get his kiss at midnight (and for several minutes afterward).


	21. Imagination

**Siriusly Deluded**

As always, thanks reviewers!

mary lennox: No, it wasn't bad at all...and yes, the story is on a roll now! Oh yeah, you do need some sort of help to kick the habit...

katemary77: Thanks! Poor thing. Try to stay cool!

melian-the-queen: Hehe, thanks!

Lemonade101: Thank you! He is cute, isn't he? sigh

Doodleflip: Hmm, we'll see if Rebecca is going to be important to this story...

padfootz-luvr: To each her own. But anyway, thanks so much! He seems like the brooding, jealous type, right?

Kerichi: Thank you so much! Glad you liked!

lelegurl9: Thank you!

Attara: Alrighty, I'm planning on writing a three-story arc. This one will cover up until the end of their seventh year and is generally fluff. After that, one up until the night James and Lily are killed. Angst and drama abound. Finally, after Sirius gets out of Azkaban. Understandably darker. The two after this are probably gonna be rated R.

Siriuszsecretlover: Thanks so much! I'll try to read your stories if I can...but I'm trying to work on mine whenever I have time. ;)

A.K. Anomynous: Thanks...it's not so much that I have free time, it's more that I make time by writing instead of doing stuff I should be doing.

Severus-Snape-Rog: Okay. I don't think he is immature...I think he's funny...(he always gets portrayed as some doormat with no sense of humor. I wanted to show why he would have been a good Marauder)

Rozalyn Greenbottom: Hehe, thanks! Yes, I know exactly what you mean about dreaming...especially about Sirius...

Aaron Thomas: Thanks! Not words I would choose to describe my hopelessly fluffy story, but I appreciate it!

xxsaphiretearxx: Welcome and thank you! I will definitely not stop writing!

**Chapter 21: Imagination** (for lack of a better title)

When they got back to Lauren's house, Sirius went upstairs to go to the bathroom while Lauren went to find her parents. Her father was asleep on the couch, snoring softly with a plate of partially-eaten cookies on his chest. She laughed and went over to him, setting the plate on a nearby table before kissing his cheek and saying, "Happy New Year, Daddy."

Her mother was in the kitchen, pulling a tray of cookies out of the oven. Lauren looked around, noting that just about every surface of the enormous kitchen covered with tray upon tray of cookies. "Hi, sweetie. How was skating? Did you see your father asleep out there? He's turning into such an old man. Fell asleep after testing only the twelfth batch!"

Lauren stifled a giggle and said, "Mum, what's with all the cookies?"

"They're for all your friends! Aren't they lovely?" Mrs. Walker answered excitedly.

"They look yummy...but don't you think you should go to sleep? Dad looks cold out there..."

"He's probably snoring, isn't he?"

Lauren laughed and confirmed her mother's suspicions.

Mrs. Walker rolled her eyes. "I hate when he does that."

Lauren was glad that Sirius didn't snore, but she wasn't exactly going to tell her mother that, for obvious reasons.

"I suppose I should wake him up then?"

"Yeah, mum. I don't think the couch is very comfortable."

"Alright, love. Happy New Year!"

"You, too," Lauren called back as she made her way out of the kitchen towards her room.

After Lauren made it to her room, she sighed contentedly and sat on her bed for a minute before going into her bathroom to get ready to go to sleep.

When she went back out into her room, she immediately went back to her bed. Skating had made her exhausted and the cold made her feel like snuggling up under her covers. Ashes meowed from the foot of the bed and Lauren picked her up, holding the kitten against her chest as she lay down. Both of them fell asleep the instant her head hit the pillow.

When he got up to his room, Sirius took a quick shower and pulled on a pair of pajama pants (foregoing the shirt) before heading to Lauren's room. He shivered as he walked through the slightly drafty hallway, but he knew that he'd be warm soon enough.

He didn't expect, however, her to already be asleep by the time he got there.

She was curled up into a tight little ball on one side of her bed, the blankets pulled up to her chin.

Sirius carefully crawled onto the bed and lay down behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back against his chest. Ashes meowed again from the disruption and he gave the kitten a soothing pat before whispering, "goodnight," and falling asleep himself.

By the next morning, their last before returning to Hogwarts, a thick layer of snow blanketed the ground.

Sirius woke up first again and immediately smiled when he looked out the window.

"Lauren!" he said excitedly.

"Mmm?" she said.

"Wake up!"

"Five more minutes," she begged lazily, suddenly turning in his arms and snuggling against his chest.

Sirius sighed. If she was going to do that, then he'd have to give her...at least six more minutes.

It ended up being forty-five.

"Hi," Lauren said sleepily after fully waking, looking up at Sirius.

"Good morning. However do you get to class on time?" he joked.

"Karen throws stuff at me until I get out of bed," she said, smiling.

"I can think of a better way to get you up."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah," he murmured as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Are you awake now?" he asked when he pulled away several minutes later.

"Of course I am, dragon-breath."

"Hey! If you're going to insult me, I insist upon being called dog-breath!" he exclaimed, looking mortally offended.

"Okay, okay, I'm awake," she said with a laugh.

"Good. You ready to go frolic in the snow?"

Lauren laughed again. Only Sirius could say "frolic in the snow" and not sound completely ridiculous.

"Alright."

The morning hours passed by quickly as the two made snow angels and built snowmen of each other (Lauren had to snog him silly to make it up to him when he saw that the one she'd made resembled Hagrid more than it did himself, especially as the one he'd sculpted of her had angel wings).

After a break for lunch and hot chocolate, they went outside again.

During lunch, Sirius mysteriously acquired a cookie sheet from a house-elf, refusing to tell Lauren why until they got outside.

"So what's it for?" she asked when they were behind the house.

Sirius took out his wand from his pocket and transfigured the baking pan into a sled.

"Have you ever gone sledding before?" he asked her with a grin.

"No, I haven't," she said slowly.

"It's fun," he said, hoisting the sled up under one arm. "I promise."

"Okay," she said, letting him lead her up the large hill at the back of the Walker's property.

She soon discovered that she really did like sledding, as she did anything that involved Sirius' arms wrapped around her.

They spent the rest of the afternoon racing down the hill, laughing, kissing, and generally tumbling around in the snow.

They were standing up after falling off the sled at the bottom of the hill when Lauren glanced at Sirius' hands.

"Sirius, where are your gloves?"

Sirius looked down at his hands, surprised to see that they were still there, since he hadn't felt them for the past few hours. "Er, inside?"

"Siri," she chastised, "You don't want your hands to get frostbitten, do you? I would hate for them to have to be cut off..."

"Oh, why is that?" he asked seductively, stepping closer.

"Because I find them very useful," she said, suddenly grabbing onto his hands and placing them inside her jacket.

She inhaled sharply when he moved his hands down a little, slipping them underneath her sweater and onto her skin. She shivered as his frozen fingers forged a fiery trail over her stomach, finally coming to rest at her waist. He pulled her body towards him and kissed her as he ran his hands up and down her sides until they were both trembling, and not just from the cold.

When they pulled away from each other to catch their breaths, Sirius glanced up and noticed that it was already getting dark outside.

Not really caring too much about the time or the impending temperature drop, he leaned back in for another kiss.

Lauren stopped him, though. "Siri, I don't want to go back inside either, but I meant what I said about your hands."

He ran his fingertips over the skin he knew was ticklish, causing her to gasp, before removing one hand from under her jacket, holding onto it tightly as they made their way back inside.

They had a simple dinner consisting of tomato basil soup, Lauren's favorite, and French bread with Lauren's parents before heading upstairs to start packing their stuff to go back to Hogwarts.

About an hour later, Sirius had just stuffed the last of his belongings into his trunk when he heard a soft knock on the door.

"Sirius, do you know where Ashes is? I haven't seen her all day," Lauren's voice called from outside his room. The kitten was rather rambunctious and curious when she wasn't lazily sprawled out on her back on Lauren's pillow, so she was worried that Ashes was getting into trouble somewhere.

Sirius looked around and his eyes quickly settled on the missing kitten.

"She's in my slipper," he called back with a frown.

Lauren came in the room and walked over to the side of his bed and saw Ashes happily curled up inside of the slipper, her tiny gray head peeking out of the heel.

"Aww, Sirius, that's so cute," she said quietly.

"But, she's in my slipper," he repeated, looking desperately at the floor.

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Just take her out and put her on your bed. She probably won't notice anyway."

He sighed and knelt beside the slipper, leaning over it to remove the sleeping squatter. From this angle, it was quite adorable, and he couldn't stop himself from lightly rubbing the kitten's nose with his index finger.

Ashes, woken up immediately and probably a little cranky for the same reason, found the lock of hair hanging in Sirius' face rather tempting, and she reached up a paw to bat at it playfully, claws fully extended.

"Ow! You little devil!" he exclaimed, jerking away quickly.

"What happened, Sirius?" Lauren asked concernedly, walking over and kneeling down beside him.

"Your cat tried to claw my eyes out!" he said indignantly, gesturing wildly at the kitten, which was yawning and stretching out her legs languidly. He was holding his other hand over his face.

"Ashes!" Lauren said reprimandingly. The kitten glanced up at Lauren and blinked her big blue eyes innocently, as if asking, "Who, me?"

Lauren couldn't help but smile. She turned to Sirius slowly.

"Let me see," she said softly, pulling his hand away from his face and brushing the offending strand of hair out of the way. There was a set of three pink parallel marks on his cheekbone right under his eye. It didn't look horrible, but it didn't look pleasant either.

"What's the damage?" he asked grimly, locking his gaze with hers.

"Oh, I'll think you'll survive," she answered after a brief pause, shaking her head in mock concern.

"Any treatment you recommend, Healer Walker?" he questioned, a sly glint in his eyes.

"Perhaps...a kiss...would make it better?" she suggested, tilting her head to the side in contemplation and tapping her index finger against her chin lightly.

"Sounds reasonable," he murmured, sliding closer to her.

She placed her hands on his knees, then leaned up and brushed her eyelashes over his cheek in a butterfly kiss before pressing her lips against the wound gently.

She pulled away slowly, leaving her hands on his knees. She glanced up at him, noticing that his eyes were still closed.

"Actually, I have a few more injuries I was hoping you could take a look at," he said softly.

"I'll see what I can do," she whispered back.

His eyes were open now, and they were still shining wickedly.

"There's this one right here," he began, pushing his hair off of his forehead with his hand. She leaned up again and kissed his forehead tenderly.

"And here," he said, gesturing towards his other cheek.

"Here," he murmured, indicating the tip of his nose.

"And here," he said, pointing at his right earlobe. She obliged, then ran the tip of her tongue along it gently.

"Ahh—_here_," he finished abruptly, pointing at his mouth.

She traced his lips with her finger lightly, the corners of her own mouth turning upwards slightly in a small smile. "There doesn't seem to be any problems here," she teased.

"Oh, but you should check, just in case," he countered huskily.

"Just for the sake of medicine?" she questioned, arching a brow in feigned doubt.

"Of course," he replied.

"Right then," she whispered, and leaned forward, grazing his lips tentatively. She pulled away slowly, smiling when he pouted.

"You reckon you need a more thorough examination?"

He nodded furiously, scooting closer to accommodate her.

She captured his lips with hers slowly, then delicately slid her tongue over the seam between them. He parted his lips in response and allowed her to explore his mouth gently, sighing into hers more than a few times.

"What's the diagnosis?" he asked breathlessly when she pulled away.

"I think I'll have to run a few more tests," she answered, using his knees for leverage to stand up.

He gazed up at her confusedly.

"An overnight stay might be required."

His expression immediately morphed into one of extreme happiness, but just as quickly changed to a frown when she started heading towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To get my pajamas," she replied, putting their game on hold.

He jumped up and grabbed something out of his trunk.

"You can wear this," he said, holding out a worn-thin long-sleeved Gryffindor Quidditch jersey. He'd had it since third year, when he finally made the team. It was obviously too small for him now, but he'd kept it for sentimental reasons. And since he knew he'd have to relinquish ownership of the slippers to Ashes, he might as well give the jersey to Lauren. The fact that he'd get to see her in it was just a coincidental bonus.

She raised her eyebrows. It looked a little...risqué. 'He saw you in your underwear the other night,' she reminded herself before she stepped forward to accept the shirt. 'You _wanted_ him to see you in your underwear.'

She went into the bathroom and changed, pulling on the jersey, which was incredibly soft. She was rightly concerned about its modesty (or lack thereof) and self-consciously tugged the bottom hem down, trying to cover her thighs.

She was blushing when she stepped out of the bathroom, still fruitlessly attempting to conceal more of her legs.

Sirius did a double-take when he saw her. He knew she'd look good in it—she looked good in everything—but he didn't think she'd look _that_ good. The thin material clung to her body in all the right places, and he found it rather adorable the way she was trying to pull it down, her hair falling into her slightly pink face.

Sirius figured the way to help her stop worrying about the shirt was to continue their game. He also silently thanked Ashes. The kitten really was looking out for his best interests, he decided as his eyes flicked over Lauren's body once again.

Then he lay back on his bed, moaning exaggeratedly.

"Mr. Black? Are you alright?" she asked with a smirk, walking over to the bed and standing beside it.

"I think I'm dying," he said overdramatically. "Your cat must have rabies."

"You'd better watch out, she might hear you," Lauren advised with a quick glance down at the kitten, which was asleep, again.

"Right, Padfoot must have got rabies from...the squirrel that bit him the other day," he said, shrugging slightly.

Lauren reached out and pressed two fingers against his wrist, pretending to take his pulse.

"Well, it looks like there's nothing we can do for you," she said, trying to hold in a laugh when he gave her a look of mock horror. "Do you have any last wishes?"

Sirius winked at her and patted the bed beside him as he flashed her a devilish grin.

"Now, I don't think that's entirely appropriate," she said with a laugh, shaking her head.

"It's a matter of life and death," he said gravely, casually lifting the blankets off the bed.

"Well, if you put it that way..." she conceded much too quickly, slipping under the covers next to him.

"So you're sure there's nothing you can do?" he asked after they got settled.

She smiled. "Well there's one thing...but it's only for very special patients."

"I can assure you that I am a very special patient," he said in a business-like tone.

"And how would you go about doing that?" she asked with a smirk.

Sirius returned the smirk as he scooted closer to her, then tilted his face down and began to press kisses from the collar of the shirt up her neck. His hand, which had lain still on her waist before, began to slowly slide over her hip and onto the smooth skin of her thigh.

She gasped, moaned, then slid away from him. "All I needed was some proof of insurance," she said with a sigh, "but I suppose that will have to do."

Sirius arched a brow at her tone, but asked, "So what's this special treatment?"

She moved back towards him and whispered breathily into his ear, "Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation."

He shivered visibly, then cleared his throat and said, "That sounds promising." He had no idea what that was, but yes, it definitely sounded promising...

"Doesn't it?" she whispered.

"Yes," he was able to whisper back before her lips were on his.

When they pulled apart, it was ironic yet expected that they were both struggling to breathe. Lauren lightly placed her hand on Sirius' chest.

She acted surprised to feel the hammering of his heart, paralleling the rhythm of her own. "Amazing," she said brightly.

"Hmm?" Sirius asked, pausing from making a trail of kisses along her jaw line.

"You seem to have had a miraculous recovery."


	22. Transitions

**Siriusly Deluded**

padfootz-luvr: Thank you! Lol, yes Sirius has slippers. They're dog slippers that the Marauders gave him as a joke when he finished the Animagus transformation (I think that's in Chapter 18 after the ball). Thanks for pointing that out to me. My beta is a total Draco/Ginny shipper, and recently she's been sending me all these fics and it was pounded into my mind that DracoDragonSlytherin. But I fixed that part.

katemary77: True, it is corny...but hopefully a good corny? No, they haven't had sex yet.

Doodleflip: Aw, thanks! Isn't Ashes cute? I'm gonna attach a link to a pic of what she would look like!

emerald eye: Oh man, slow and painful does not sound like the way to go. I'm updating as quickly as I can (classes are getting hard).

lelegurl9: Thank you!

siriuszsecretlover: Hehe, thanks!

Emily: Hehe, yeah, they fall asleep a lot, don't they...

Kerichi: Hope you're getting those insulin tablets at a good price ;) Hehe, I think anyone would have a miraculous recovery if Sirius gave them mouth to mouth!

paige-rossi-black: They're heading back to Hogwarts in this chapter. Thank you!

Plumeria323: Hahaha, I wish I knew what it was about him, since he has the same effect on me! You know, it shouldn't be too much to ask...it's not like Sirius is perfect or anything...Thanks!

Blue Eyes At Night: Hehe, is it that lemony? Hmm...Glad you liked the motorcycle!

Emily: Yay! I'm glad you liked it! Hehe, yes, much of it is saved on my computer, waiting to be completed and edited...

Jedicren: Thank you!

Severus-Snape-Rog: Yes, this is their seventh year, and they are both 17 (but they are young for their year, neither will turn 18 until after they leave Hogwarts). Yes, I agree with you about the impropriety of seventeen year olds having sex (my little sister is turning 17 in two weeks)...and that's why Sirius and Lauren have not had sex yet.

ZebraStripedFlamingo: Thank you very much! Wow, I'm so jealous! Weeks touring the Caribbean? No fair! Hope you had fun!

claudiabitu: Smut? What smut? (looks around nervously) Keep it on the DL...

**Chapter 22: Transitions**

The next morning, Sirius woke up early, and he spent the time in solitude thinking. Quite disturbing, but that's what he was doing.

His gaze swept over Lauren's sleeping form, trying to memorize everything about her. This would be the last time for a long while before he'd wake up with her in his arms again. Unlike some blokes, he actually enjoyed cuddling. It was probably some fucked up regression into his childhood. His mother was...lacking in the maternal care department.

'Or maybe,' he thought, when Lauren sighed in her sleep and slid her leg over his, 'I like this because I love her.'

He continued to ponder and slowly run his fingertips over her back, and perhaps was just about to discover the meaning of life (yeah, right), when she squirmed in his arms.

"Hi," she said sleepily, lifting her hand to rub her eyes and flashing him a lazy smile.

He found himself unable to speak for a second. Merlin, that smile was sexy. "Hi," he returned hoarsely.

"What time is it?" she asked quietly.

He leaned over her to grab his watch off the nightstand, not noticing when she closed her eyes at his closeness.

"Nine," he replied before setting the watch back down and casually draping his arm over her waist.

She snuggled into him and said, "We still have a little bit of time, then."

"Yeah," he replied slowly as she began to plant little kisses along his jaw.

"I'm going to miss this," he said with a sudden fierceness.

She froze, then drew her face away from his and looked up at him questioningly. "What?" she asked innocently.

"This," he said more firmly as he tightened his arms around her.

"Me, too," she whispered, sadness lacing her voice.

After lying there for another half an hour talking about the upcoming term, they reluctantly got out of bed.

"Um, I'll just...give you your shirt back after I go change," Lauren said awkwardly.

"No," Sirius said softly, "Keep it."

Lauren smiled and stood on her tip-toes to give him a quick kiss on the lips.

He had to restrain himself from turning it into more than that. "You're welcome," he murmured.

"I'll see you in a little bit," she said, turning to leave the room so she could get ready to leave for the Hogwarts Express.

Sirius looked down at the floor and saw Ashes, still inside one of his slippers. "Wait!" he called quickly.

"What? What's wrong?" Lauren asked, spinning around immediately.

"I want to give you something," he said, carefully picking up the slipper and offering it to Lauren.

"Uh, Sirius, I don't want your stinky slipper," Lauren said, wrinkling her nose disdainfully.

"Hey! They don't smell..." Well, at least he thought they didn't...Perhaps he was immune to it? 'Nah,' he decided.

Lauren laughed. "Why do you want to give it to me?"

"Ashes likes it," Sirius explained, shrugging.

"Yes, it seems she does," Lauren said, taking the slipper from his outstretched hands and stroking Ashes' head lightly.

"Is it alright if I keep the other one?" Sirius asked nonchalantly. "You know, in case she wants to come visit me or something?"

"It's your slipper, of course you can keep it," Lauren replied amusedly, holding in the enormous smile that was threatening to spread across her face. Sirius was so _adorable_. "See you downstairs, okay?"

"Okay."

After all of their belongings were packed and brought downstairs, they had lunch with Lauren's parents.

Mrs. Walker was uncharacteristically calm, apparently still exhausted from her caffeine high. Mr. Walker was also quiet, though Lauren suspected that it was because she was leaving.

"Daddy?" she asked after they were done eating.

"Yes, honey?"

"Will you help me look over my Arithmancy problems before we go?" Lauren actually already checked over the problems, but for some reason she wanted to make her father think he was needed.

Mr. Walker smiled happily. "Of course."

On the ride to King's Cross Station, Mr. Walker was in a decidedly better mood, and he spent most of the time discussing the pros and cons of the newest line of brooms to hit the market with Sirius.

When they arrived at Platform 9 and ¾, Sirius thanked Lauren's parents for letting him stay at their house for the holidays. In response, he received a tearful hug from her mother, a friendly handshake and a warning look from her father.

Thinking it best to leave Lauren a little time to say goodbye to her parents in private, he went off in search of his friends.

"We wish you didn't have to go back so soon," her mother said. "It's so nice having you home."

"I know, mum. I don't want to go back yet either."

"Write to us, okay?" her father suddenly asked, enveloping Lauren in a tight hug.

"I will."

"You promise?"

"Dad! Of course I'll write! You're squeezing me to death!"

"Alright, alright," he conceded laughingly, backing up until he was holding her at arm's length. "Don't work too hard."

Lauren laughed. "I won't dad."

"We love you, sweetie," her mother said, joining the family hug.

"I love you, too," she said. 'I will not cry, I will not cry,' she told herself over and over.

Lauren blinked back her tears and pulled away, thanking them for letting Sirius stay and everything else they'd done.

"See you in June!" she said and suddenly Sirius was there, helping her gather up her belongings and making their way towards the train.

"Edward, you have to let her go," Maria said when they were out of earshot, rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand soothingly.

He shook his head firmly. "No, I don't. She's only seventeen. She's _my_ little girl."

"Edward, look at her," she ordered softly, "Look at them."

He watched as Sirius led Lauren through the crowd onto a less congested part of the platform.

"Would you have wanted it to be anyone else?" she asked quietly.

He stared at them for a while before turning back to his wife, then shook his head once. His wife had a point. He'd known Sirius for his entire life. The boy was a bit reckless, but he obviously loved his daughter, and that was the most important thing.

They both returned their gazes to their daughter, who was now standing in the middle of the platform talking to John Lovegood, laughing at what he was saying. Sirius was clutching her hand gently, staring down at their entwined fingers as he ran the pad of his thumb against her palm. Every now and then he leaned into her, lightly rubbing his shoulder against hers to get her attention. She tilted her head towards him, squeezing his hand in response, but still listened to the other boy. Eventually he stepped behind her and slowly let go of her hand before wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on the top of her head.

"He worships her, Edward."

"He better."

"Let's go, darling. You haven't gone jogging with me yet this week," Maria reminded him, a smile on her face.

Mr. Walker sighed. New Years was now officially his least favorite holiday.

"Oh, I forgot something," Mrs. Walker said once they were through the barrier. "Wait for me in the car, okay?"

"Alright, dear."

"Laur, we should get on board," Sirius murmured into Lauren's hair on the other side of the platform.

"Okay, let's go," she said, looking up at him as he took her hand in his.

They had just started moving forward when they heard a female voice call from behind, "Sirius!"

He (and Lauren, who wanted to know just who exactly was summoning her boyfriend) turned around, and caught sight of Mrs. Walker waving her arms in the air exaggeratedly. He glanced at Lauren questioningly, but she shrugged in response.

"I'll meet you on the train," he said before kissing her on the cheek, letting his lips linger a bit longer than necessary.

"Okay," she murmured, letting go of his hand slowly. What piece of embarrassing information was her mother going to share with Sirius now?

He jogged over to Mrs. Walker, who had seemingly come back through the wall for the sole purpose of speaking to him.

"Yes, Mrs. Walker?" he asked politely. He couldn't keep his eyebrows from knitting with concern.

"Don't look so worried," she admonished him, patting his arm. "I wanted to give you something," she said as she pulled out a package from her robes.

He took the thin, rectangular package and stared down at it for a second, then raised his eyes up to the woman.

"Go ahead and open it," she said with a smile.

His expression changed to match hers when he saw what was inside. It was a collection of pictures. Many of them were from their childhood.

There was a picture of him and Lauren dancing, and he kept stepping on her feet. She would jerk away and scowl at him, but then he'd give her the puppy-dog face, feigning innocence, and her expression would slowly melt into a smile. Another boy edged his way into the picture, cautiously approaching Lauren. He scampered away rather quickly, however, when Sirius glared at him over her shoulder.

Next was a picture of them outside of Florean Fortescue's. He had stolen her ice cream cone and was holding it high above his head while she jumped up to unsuccessfully recover it. Then after a reflective pause, she promptly stole his and ran away, laughing delightedly. He shrugged and glanced down at the cone in his hand, about to eat it before he threw up his shoulders resignedly and ran after her down the street. Soon, they both came back to the front of the store, with her happily eating her ice cream and him staring down at his now ice-cream covered shirt in shock.

Another picture of them, standing in front of Quality Quidditch Supplies. The picture was taken from inside, so it depicted his expression as he stared at the newest model in awe with his face pressed up against the window, while she kept glancing from him to the broomstick, a slight pout on her face as if she thought she'd just lost her best friend to the sport.

Under that was another picture that surprised him very, very much. Early morning light was filtering through a window in the background, revealing the two of them, eleven years old, lying in her bed with their arms wrapped around each other. No one was supposed to know about that, especially not her parents. He silently prayed that Mrs. Walker hadn't shared the picture with her husband. His head snapped up to look at her mother, who said with a reassuring smile, "That was lovely."

He shuffled through the rest of the pictures, these much more recent. They were playing in the snow, they were leaning against each other in front of the fire, they were decorating the Christmas tree in the ballroom at her house, they were playing with the kitten, they were eating with James, Lily, Remus, and Karen, they were laughing on New Years' Eve, they were dancing at the ball. That was his favorite picture. He was holding her close to him, and every now and then she'd tilt her face up to his. Then he'd lean down slightly and kiss her softly, sometimes on her forehead, sometimes on the tip of her nose, sometimes on her lips.

He looked up at Mrs. Walker wordlessly. He'd known for basically his entire life that she loved to take pictures. It had been her second choice as an occupation, instead of working at the Ministry of Magic in Greece. But he didn't know that she'd kept the pictures of him and Lauren, or that she had even taken a lot of those.

"Thank you," he said softly. "They're amazing."

"You're welcome, dear. Take care of her," she replied, hugging him and then slipping back through the barrier to the Muggle world.

"I will," he promised, even though he knew he was talking to himself.

He tucked the pictures into his cloak and walked dazedly onto the train. After making his way to the Marauders' usual compartment he saw that James and Lily were already there, as well as Remus. James stood halfway and they completed their usual greeting, a complicated and supposedly cool handshake they'd invented on the train on their way to Hogwarts for the first time.

Much to James' dismay, Sirius kissed Lily's hand, and she laughed as James wiped it off with his robes, muttering something about mangy dogs and slobber, which Sirius chose to ignore.

Remus was sitting beside Lauren, engrossed in a book, but he frowned and exclaimed, "Hey!" when Sirius ruffled his hair.

When he dropped down onto the seat on the other side of Lauren, she asked, "What did my mom want?"

He grinned wickedly before answering, "What do all women want from me?"

She narrowed her eyes slightly and retorted, "Too bad you don't have anything to give them."

He gave her a hurt expression, looking rather like a wounded puppy, as James, Lily, and Remus laughed at her comment.

"Touché," he replied once they'd quieted, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "You're right," he whispered into her ear after a minute, "I don't have anything to give them because I belong to you."

Over the next few minutes, Lauren felt Sirius' weight slowly sag against her, and he finally slid down, his head resting in her lap.

Across from her, James stifled a snort of laughter.

"He must be tired," Lauren whispered, shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh, and why would he be tired? Did you keep him up late last night?" James asked in a conspiratorial tone, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"James, you're so..." she began exasperatedly.

"Dashingly handsome?" he supplied, winking at Lily, who rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Suave? Captivating? Intelligent yet sexy? Irresistible?"

"Modest?" Lily chipped in laughingly, just as Lauren said, "Annoying!"

James gave up on Lauren, and turned to Lily, asking quietly, "You don't agree with her, do you?"

Lauren rolled her eyes as Lily said, "Not anymore." Then she looked down at Sirius, who was sleeping peacefully in her lap. She brushed her fingers over his cheek lightly, then traced his strong jaw-line before sliding her fingers into his hair.

She absently played with the silky black strands for a long time as she stared out the window, reliving the holiday in her mind. Besides the other..._advances_ in their relationship, it felt like their friendship was stronger than ever. What would it be like now that they were back at school? She was so busy, and he had his friends and his classes and Quidditch.

She looked up when she heard the swish of a cloak in front of her, and saw that James was standing, his back to her.

"Lauren, I know that you're rather busy, but there's a prefects meeting in five minutes," Lily said apologetically, placing Ashes on the seat as James pulled her up.

"Oh, okay," Lauren whispered back as the Head Students departed, hand-in-hand. She glanced over at Remus, who was reading a book silently.

"Remus?" she whispered, touching him gently on the shoulder.

"Yes?" he replied softly, putting his book down beside him and granting his attention to her.

She glanced down at Sirius' head in her lap and then back up at Remus meaningfully.

"You have got to be kidding me. No way," Remus replied, looking at her as if she was insane.

She looked at him pleadingly and he sighed, taking off his cloak and handing it to her. There was a nice happy medium. He absolutely refused to let Sirius sleep on his lap (what if he groped around in his sleep?), but he didn't mind him sleeping on his cloak.

Lauren smiled at Remus gratefully, then lifted Sirius' head gently off of her lap, sliding out from under him and replacing her body with the cloak. Sirius groaned in his sleep and clutched the cloak, making Remus instantly glad that he'd come up with the alternate solution.

During the meeting, Sirius woke up slightly when he felt something soft against his cheek. Then he noticed the rumbling. He opened his eyes slowly and saw that Ashes was curled up in the crook of his neck, between his jaw and his shoulder, purring loudly. It was cute, but geez, the little bugger sounded like a small motor, and her whiskers kinda tickled his chin. He picked up the kitten, which meowed softly in disapproval, as he shifted. Then Sirius curled up on his side, lightly holding the kitten in the space between his stomach and his legs. Ashes twisted around in his hand and settled down again, resting her face between his thumb and forefinger before immediately starting to purr again.

When Lauren came back into the compartment with James and Lily, laughing softly at James' uncanny impersonation of McGonagall, she quieted suddenly at the sight of Sirius and Ashes, in the same positions they had been in since falling back asleep.

Lily gave a little gasp behind Lauren and voiced her own thoughts as she exclaimed quietly, "That is adorable!"

"Oh, yes, _adorable_," James said sarcastically, pulling Lily back out of the compartment. Apparently he felt the need to remind Lily how adorable _he_ could be.

And when they came back into the compartment several minutes later, James' slightly-askew glasses and messier-than-normal hair, as well as Lily's tangled tresses and swollen lips, proved that James had gotten his point across.

Meanwhile, Lauren sat down across from Sirius, just watching him. He looked so innocent when he was sleeping, reminding her of the boy he'd been before they went to Hogwarts. Not that she minded his developments, she noted as her gaze swept over his broad chest, but so much had happened over the past seven years, and she felt like she'd missed so much of his life.

"Lauren? You want to sit here?" Remus asked, scooting over to make space between him and Sirius.

"Oh, sure," Lauren replied, settling down into the spot.

They spent the next half an hour or so discussing what they did over the holidays until their conversation was interrupted by a loudly rumbling stomach, surprisingly courtesy of...James.

"Is the cart going to come by soon?" he wondered aloud, then stood up and opened the door to the compartment. He stepped outside a bit and peered down the hallway, then let the door close and flopped back down beside Lily.

"It's four compartments down," he reported. "Why do we always sit in the back? We always are the last to get the food!"

"Oh! My mum went on a baking spree and made hundreds of cookies for everyone," Lauren said, laughing as she stood up to grab the huge box full of cookies from the luggage shelf above them.

"You weren't kidding!" Lily exclaimed when Lauren opened the box. "Tell her thanks!"

"Yeah, thank you," James said. Well, at least that's what Lauren thought he'd said, since his mouth was full of cookie.

Lauren laughed. "I will."

"Wow, I would have thought that Padfoot would have woken up when you said the word 'cookie'," James mused, chewing thoughtfully. He meaningfully looked over at Remus, who raised an eyebrow, and then suddenly jumped up and left the compartment.

"Where is he going?" Lauren asked, confused.

"It's prank time," Lily and Remus answered together.

"Oh, right," Lauren said.

James came back a few minutes later holding something in his hand while he shoved his wand back into his pocket.

He eyed Lauren and Lily warily and turned his back to them, showing Remus whatever he had in his hand.

Remus snorted and James turned around triumphantly. "You think they can be trusted?" James said in a stage-whisper.

"I think so," Remus said, shaking his head at his friend's theatrics.

"What is it?" Lauren asked curiously, leaning forward in her seat.

James walked closer, bending down and presenting his hands to the girls.

Lauren nearly choked when she saw it. James had purchased a blueberry muffin from the cart and had transfigured it, rearranging the berries to spell out "SEXY".

"James!" she exclaimed softly, glancing quickly at Sirius, who was still asleep.

"Oh come on, Lauren, you know he's your sexymuffin...I heard you tell Lily!" He flashed Lauren an evil grin, then put the muffin into her hand.

"No...James, I can't—"

"Oh, I think you can," James said, tapping Sirius on the shoulder and then quickly jumping into his seat across the aisle, looking nonchalant.

To her horror, Sirius stirred beside her, rubbing his eyes and pulling himself up to a sitting position beside her.

"Hi," he said, "Sorry I fell asleep."

"It's okay, I just...thought you might be hungry," Lauren said, shooting a glare at James, who pretended not to notice.

Sirius' stomach grumbled at the prospect of food and he shrugged. "Did the cart already come by?"

"Not yet," Lauren said slowly.

"But Lauren got you something," James spoke up suddenly.

Sirius barely glanced at James before returning his gaze to Lauren, smiling at her. She would have melted if she weren't about to...

"Lauren?" James urged.

"Oh, right...so, here it is," she said apologetically, handing the muffin to Sirius.

Sirius, not fully awake yet, didn't seem to notice the unusual appearance of the muffin, and James frowned in response even as Lauren sighed in relief.

Sirius leaned forward and kissed her softly, thanking her as he pulled away.

All of the occupants of the compartment watched, transfixed, as Sirius brought the muffin up to his mouth and took a bite.

He brought his hand down, finally looking at the muffin for the first time. Sirius actually did choke, and the half-chewed piece of muffin flew out of his mouth and right into James' disbelieving face as Remus, Lauren, and Lily all burst out laughing, watching as it bounced off of his forehead and onto the floor.

"James, I didn't know you found me so attractive," Sirius joked after everyone had calmed down a bit. "Too bad I'm taken," he said, turning to Lauren.

"I didn't know you had it in you," Sirius teased her, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Lauren smiled back at him, confusion etched into her forehead, as Sirius leaned closer to her.

Suddenly she was pressed up against the seat, her lips covered by Sirius' in an intense kiss. She sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, completely forgetting about the other people in the compartment.

After successfully turning her brain into complete mush, Sirius pulled away, sending a triumphant look at James, who had a disgusted look on his face.

"Next time, Padfoot, get a room," Remus said dryly from beside them.

Lauren blushed furiously, ducking her head.

"Sorry, Moony," Sirius said with his adorable lopsided grin.

"Thanks for playing along," he said to Lauren.

Lauren narrowed her eyes and hissed softly, "I wasn't playing!"

Sirius grinned and leaned forward, whispering in her ear, "Neither was I, but he doesn't know that."

Lauren shook her head and decided to forgive him for the time being.

For the rest of the train ride, they all gathered on the floor of the compartment (after Lily made James dispose of the muffin bit—which Sirius found quite entertaining) and played exploding snap.

The ride in the carriages back from Hogsmeade was relatively uneventful (lacking flying baked goods) and once they got back to the school, they all ate dinner together.

As they walked out of the Great Hall, Sirius groaned, "I've never been so stuffed in my life."

"That's not surprising, considering the way you were shoveling the food into your mouth," Remus joked.

"You know," James said, "You can always work it off by playing some Quidditch."

"Prongs! No! We just got back!" Sirius said.

"All that means to me is that you haven't practiced for the last few weeks," James commented shrewdly. "We're trying to win the Cup here!"

"I know we are, but..." Sirius trailed off. He knew that James would bug him until he agreed to play. There was a reason that his friend had been made Head Boy, and it was not because he was, as James liked to say, the best looking bloke at Hogwarts, it was because he knew how to lead.

"Fine. Just let me walk Lauren to her room," Sirius said, tightening his grip on Lauren's hand and grinning mischievously.

"Oh, no you don't!" James said. "I know what you're thinking. No, I think we'll all walk Lauren to the Ravenclaw dorms."

"Damn!" Sirius cursed under his breath, shrugging at Lauren, who laughed.

Sirius put his arm around Lauren's shoulders and she slid her hand around his waist, leaning her head against him as they walked to her dorm.

When they got there, Lauren wrapped her arms around Sirius. He enveloped her in a tight hug and they just stayed like that for about a minute.

"Padfoot, come on, we have Quidditch practice," James said impatiently.

"I don't want to," Sirius whined, nuzzling his face into Lauren's neck.

She laughed, but tightened her arms around him. She didn't want him to go either.

"Geez, you two just spent the whole holiday together. Haven't you had enough?"

"No," Sirius and Lauren answered together. Sirius quietly added, "And I never will," into her ear, then kissed her gently.

"Okay, okay, that's enough," James said, pulling Sirius away from Lauren before she had a chance to respond to his kiss. James knew full well to not let that happen.

"I love you!" Lauren shouted after the boys.

"Love you too!" Sirius called back before he was pulled around the corner.

A/N: See my profile for a link to a pic of what Ashes would look like

A/N: Finals are just around the corner, so the updates will probably be less often until mid-December. Hang with me guys, I'm not going to abandon this story...


	23. Diversions

**Siriusly Deluded**

Alright guys…I honestly was considering waiting until mid-January to post this so the timing in the real world and in this story would be synchronized, but I realized that would mean a two month hiatus between updates, and I just can't make you guys wait that long (haha, like you're all dying to read the saga of Sirius and Lauren). So…here is the next chapter, though it's more of a cookie…but hey, it's something.

But anyway, a lot of people have asked me about the lack of conflict in their relationship. I know they don't fight often, but they're both pretty easy going people and have good senses of humor. They have known each other for basically their whole lives, and understand the other person. One of the reasons I took so long to update is because I am actually getting bored with how perfect their relationship is. But I decided a while ago to let them have a little time when they don't have to worry too much. The sequel to this story, which is as of yet unnamed, is in the works, and will include much more drama and conflict.

As always, thank you reviewers:

Blue Eyes At Night: Thanks! Hmm…I hadn't really considered a big prank, but Sirius did promise Lauren not to do any more pranks that would cause another person to be hurt or embarrassed (he is sooo whipped!). I think the Marauders would just tease and play minor pranks on each other.

ZebraStripedFlamingo: Thank you! I think they're cute together, too. No, Lauren does not play Quidditch (she is highly based on me…and since I have no athletic ability whatsoever, neither does she). However, Rowan, one of her roommates does, and the Ravenclaw/Gryffindor match is coming up, so we'll see how that plays out. As for Lily and James, their relationship is going along quite swimmingly. James has finally grown up pinches his cheeks.

Emily716: Aww, thank you! I had a lot of fun writing that one. I'm glad you like my characterization of Sirius.

TheBeautifulLetdown: Ah, you've changed names on me! I like this one! Thank you!

claudiabitu: Hmm…well, just let me know when you think I've crossed that line into "the mode of adult entertainment"…hopefully I never will. Thank you, dear.

Kerichi: Yay…you're reminding me about the possibility of a white Christmas where I live! Thank you so much! Hmm…I have chapters on file, but they're all over the place and not really in order, so I have to fill in holes as I get to them.

Jedicren: Yeah, I know it was mushy…gazes down at floor sheepishly Thank you so much…the photos were very important, because I wanted to show how close they were before Hogwarts. :)

katemary77: Haha…"cornation"! Thank you!

mary lennox: Hmm…those promised r's never came…Hehe, kitty!

imaredhead: Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it!

Blossomlite: Thanks! Yeah, I know…who can resist Sirius and his puppy-dog face?

Rei: Thank you! Er…believe it…they didn't. And yes, Sirius is some guy! Hehe, you looked at "Ashes"? Isn't she precious?

**Chapter 23: Diversions**

They were in the library, studying yet again, on a Sunday afternoon in mid-January. The day before had been the Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Slytherin, and all of the Marauders, plus Lily, had joined Lauren and her friends in the Ravenclaw stands. She found a hard time paying attention to the game, as her gaze was usually drawn to Sirius.

Sirius, unlike Lauren, was not devoting his complete attention to his notes, but was instead watching her out of the corner of his eye. Suddenly he slammed his quill down onto the parchment in front of him and sighed loudly.

"What's wrong?" she asked, barely looking up from her notes.

"You."

"What?" That was not the answer she had expected. She'd thought he'd just complain a bit about studying, then she'd remind him that the NEWTs were soon, and he'd groan and turn back to his assignment. She turned toward him slowly.

"How am I supposed to concentrate on anything with you twirling your hair and driving me crazy because I want to touch it?"

She quickly removed her hand from her hair. He was not going to use an idle habit of hers as an excuse to not study.

"Sirius, if I can concentrate with you smelling…the way you smell...I mean, not in a bad way...your cologne…and when your hair falls into your face…and when you're biting your lip because you're thinking really hard…then you can." She didn't even realize that her voice had softened with each admission, her indignation losing its effect immediately when she stammered.

He just stared at her in response for a second, then he turned away from her and picked up his quill, a bemused smile on his face.

Lauren returned to her notes, clutching her hands in her lap this time.

She reached up after a few minutes to turn the page. Suddenly she felt another hand join the free one in her lap, the cool fingers lacing into her warm ones. She didn't look up, but a slow smile spread across her face.

"I'm sorry," Sirius murmured next to her.

She squeezed his hand in response.

'This is pointless,' Sirius thought about an hour later, as he tried to read the same passage for about the third time in a row. Just a few minutes ago, Lauren had crossed her legs, and her skirt had slid up just the tiniest bit, but it was more than enough for him.

Taking a "break", he looked around the practically deserted library, twirling his sugar quill idly in his hand. Suddenly he had a very, very good idea. Well, it was more of an experiment…

His hand was still clutching Lauren's under the table. He ran his thumb over the back of her hand and squeezed to get her attention. She snapped her head up and looked at him questioningly.

He didn't say anything, he simply gazed at her. He knew that she would know what was on his mind.

'God, why does he have to look at me like that? He knows that I can't—he's so manipulative!'

"Sirius, I really need to fini—"

He cut her off by placing his sugar quill to her lips. Then he stood and pulled her up with him and walked backwards as he led her behind the first set of bookshelves, staring into her eyes the whole time.

When they were in the secluded corner, he suddenly reversed their positions, and gently pushed her back against the wall. Then he lowered his head and kissed the side of her neck softly.

She raised her hands up and rested them on his shoulders and closed her eyes, whimpering softly when he tilted her chin up and kissed her throat, gently sucking on her pulse point. She _loved_ it when he did that.

Then she slid her hands and cupped them around his neck, finding it rather hard to breathe normally.

He grasped her waist for a while before sliding his hands up slowly over the front of her shirt.

She gasped when his hands grazed her chest and opened her eyes, just as she started to feel him loosen the knot in her tie. Before she even had time to think about what he was doing, the tie was in a coil on the floor behind him.

When she finally did recover the capacity to think, his deft fingers were already on the second button of her shirt.

By the fourth button, she regained the ability to speak. "Sirius," she ventured weakly, "we're in the library."

He nodded, but continued his actions.

She started feeling that strange sensation in her stomach again and for a second felt like crying.

"Sirius, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice quivering slightly with panic.

"It's okay. Trust me," he whispered, his hands lingering over the last button of her shirt as he looked into her eyes.

Tears actually did fill her eyes once he drew his attention back to her shirt. She knew that she could trust him, that he wouldn't do anything that she didn't want to do, but she was scared. She was scared that she wouldn't be able to stop him from doing anything at all, because she did want to…

He glanced up at her once he was done. She blinked and looked down immediately.

He lifted a hand and tilted her face up to his. "Hey," he said softly, wiping the tears that were tracing their way down her cheeks. "What's wrong?"

She sniffed and glanced down at her open shirt before looking back at him and biting her lip.

His eyes widened immediately. "I'm so sorry, so sorry," he said softly, starting to button her shirt back up clumsily. 'Merlin, I'm so stupid!,' he thought to himself, replaying the scene in his mind. It scared him how much he'd sounded like he was going to rape her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, allowing all the remaining tears to fall. When she opened them again, Sirius was still fumbling with the buttons on her shirt, looking incredibly guilty and quite pitiful.

She placed her hands on his and pushed them off of her gently.

'Great, now she doesn't even want me to touch her.'

Not knowing what to say, she glanced around and caught sight of the sugar quill he was still holding. "Why…did you bring that here?" she asked slowly.

He raised the quill up to his chest-level, twirling it around once. 'Damn sugar quill,' he thought. She was scared of him now and all because he got an idea looking at a stupid writing utensil.

He didn't even know how to explain why he'd brought it in words, so he extended his arm and lightly traced her jaw line with the tip of the feather. She sighed involuntarily and visibly relaxed.

He stepped closer, and slid the feather over one cheek, across her lips, and to her other cheek. Then he ran it over the bridge of her nose.

She shivered and wrinkled her nose, which he noted was quite adorable before he continued the path to her forehead.

He paused before he lowered the feather and brushed it across her eyelids. She sighed again and opened her eyes slowly.

She bit her lip and reached her arms out, pulling him closer to her.

"I'm sorry about before," he apologized softly, outlining her throat with the feather.

She took a deep breath, wanting to just forget about it.

"I didn't mean—I wasn't going to—I would never—" he tried to explain, his tone desperate and his eyes pleading.

She knew he was being sincere by the look in his eyes. He looked like he'd never wanted anyone to believe him more.

Exhaling shakily, she asked quietly, "What were you going to do?"

He paused for a second, then raised the feather in between their faces.

She rolled her eyes slightly and put her arms around his neck.

"Is that really what you were going to do?" she whispered in his ear.

He shivered slightly before nodding, rubbing his cheek against hers.

She pulled away from him and slowly raised her fingers to her shirt, undoing the buttons once again, which she would have had to do anyway because in his haste, he'd done them up all crooked before.

He stared at her, his jaw hanging open slightly for a second before he realized that that was probably his cue and he placed the feather on her lips, then drew a vertical line down from there, drawing tiny circles on her collarbone as she finished unbuttoning her shirt. He bit his lip in concentration as he moved it downwards from there, across the top edge of her bra, between her breasts and down to her stomach, where he hesitated for a second, then brushed it over the spot he knew was ticklish.

She inhaled sharply and slid her fingers into his hair.

She felt him draw the outline of a heart on her stomach, causing her to feel those familiar tingles.

Then she realized that he was writing invisible letters on her skin. She closed her eyes tighter and concentrated.

"—O—V—E—Y—O—U"

She opened her eyes and found him staring at her as he skimmed the side of her torso.

"I love you, Laur," he said softly.

Again with the fluttering in her stomach. "I love you, too," she whispered back.

He smiled and started to button her shirt up again, kissing the skin before covering it. He buttoned the top button and made a trail of kisses up the side of her neck to her jaw, then across to her lips.

He gave her a sweet, chaste kiss before bending down and picking up her tie. She watched him, lifting her hair off of her neck accommodatingly, as he tried to tie it.

Realizing that he was having difficulty because he'd always done it from the opposite perspective, he slid behind her and reached his arms around her shoulders to tie it.

Then he kissed the back of her neck before reaching down and clasping onto her hand gently and leading her out to their table. They spent the rest of the afternoon studying contentedly.


	24. Confessions

Okay, first of all...I am so, so sorry that it has taken me so long to update. I kinda had some writer's block and then I was sorta dating this guy who happened to have dark hair and blue eyes and when that didn't work out I just couldn't write about Lauren and Sirius, the ever happy and adorable, perfect couple. Lately I've received a couple reviews and I felt really guilty, so I'm updating. There was supposed to be a Valentine's Day chapter and a Quidditch game chapter, but I just can't seem to get the V-Day one right and I can't even get a single sentence about Quidditch, so this is all I've got. Maybe later I'll add in the V-Day one, but that's definitely not a sure thing. I'll skip the review responses just so I can get the chapter out right now. I really do appreciate all the reviews that I've received, they are the only thing that made me want to post this. I still have a lot of this story already written, so I think I'll post all of it. It won't be what I intended it to be, but it will be something...

**Chapter 24: Confessions**

A huge thunderstorm was raging outside the thick stone walls of Hogwart's. Sirius was sleeping soundly in his dorm, completely unaware of the torrential rain pouring from the skies. He was practically dead to the world, utterly exhausted from a tiring Quidditch practice.

Meanwhile, Lauren was creeping through the school's corridors, searching for the painting of the fat lady that she knew was the entrance to the Gryffindor dormitories. She hadn't seen Sirius all day, and she missed him. The storm outside reminded her even more of that. It's not that she was still afraid; she had conquered that fear years ago. But, hearing the thunder and seeing the lightning flash through the window made her think of the boy that she had been in love with for so long, but hadn't even known it.

She really couldn't believe she was doing what she was about to do. She thought about heading straight back to her dorm, when the painting she was looking for caught her eye. She stepped up to it hesitantly. The woman was sleeping, snoring softly. "Hello?" Lauren said softly. She felt bad enough about breaking possibly the biggest school rule, but she was even more guilty about having to wake the woman up.

'You're a prefect, you shouldn't be doing this,' she scolded herself as she turned on her heels to leave. She froze when she heard a high-pitched voice behind her, saying, "Where are you going, missy? You didn't wake me up just to turn around and leave, did you?"

"Of—of course not," Lauren stammered, turning around and coming face to face with the fat lady. She whispered the password, "Blazing bludgers," softly. The painting swung open. Lauren paused, peeking inside.

She took a step forward.

"Well aren't you pretty?" the lady mused as Lauren got closer.

Lauren blushed and murmured, "I'm so sorry to have woken you."

"It's alright dear," she said comfortingly.

Lauren stepped slowly through the portrait hole, stopping midway and asking embarrassedly, "Do you know where the seventh year boys' dormitory is?" She felt the blush creep even further, down to her neck.

The fat lady smiled knowingly at her. "Doorway on the right. Take the stairs to the top floor."

Lauren thanked the woman quietly. Then she looked around the Gryffindor common room. There were magazines, chess boards, cards, and candy wrappers strewn about. It looked like a lot more fun happened in there than in the Ravenclaw common room, but that wasn't surprising.

Lauren tip-toed to the door on the right side of the room. She pushed it open gently, grimacing as it creaked. She froze, waiting for about a minute in case anyone had heard and was coming to investigate the noise. Then she squeezed through the door and crept silently up the staircase. When she reached the top step, she hesitated in front of the closed door. She started having major doubts about coming up there.

'What if Sirius sleeps…in the nude? Or worse, what if one of his roommates does?' Lauren fought the urge to vomit when she associated that thought with Peter. Then Lauren began rationalizing with herself. 'They probably sleep with their drapes closed, just like we do…But guys don't need as much privacy as girls do, do they?' After more deliberation, Lauren sighed. If she continued on like this, she'd still be standing there deciding to go in or not when one of them opened the door on the way to breakfast.

She sighed and pushed open the door. It was pitch black in the room. After her eyes adjusted, she took a few steps forward. There were four beds in there, 'All with the curtains shut,' she noted, relieved. She wondered which one was Sirius' before she caught sight of his mahogany trunk sitting at the foot of the bed directly in front of her. She remembered helping him pick it out in Diagon Alley before their first year.

Lauren walked over to one side of the bed, pausing. Then she took a deep breath and pulled the curtain back slowly. Behind it was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. Sirius was sound asleep, lying on his stomach. His hand was hanging limply over the side of the bed. His face was turned to the side, towards her. She smiled, just looking at him for a while. Then a sudden loud crack of thunder caused her to gasp and release the curtain.

Sirius was startled out of his deep sleep by the sudden loud noise. He looked around, disoriented. After the thunder, he had heard something else that sounded like it came from in the room…right next to his bed. And he could swear that the curtain in front of his face was moving slightly… 'I'm gonna die,' he thought as he quickly recalled the article Lauren had been reading on the Hogwarts Express.

Lauren froze when she heard movement in Sirius' bed. She prayed that he didn't sleep with his wand nearby. She definitely regretted not taking her own wand with her when she left her dormitory.

After a second, Sirius' thoughts were slightly less dramatic. He figured that James was about to pull a prank on him. He pulled back the curtain swiftly.

Lauren watched in horror as the hanging was violently yanked to the side. She squeezed her eyes shut, preparing to be hit by a hex.

His eyes went wide. There was certainly someone standing in front of him, but whoever it was didn't exactly look like a killer, er, James. The person was…small…definitely female… "Lauren?"

Lauren's eyes popped open. "Hi," she said shyly, tucking her hair behind her ear nervously.

"What are you doing here?" He was too shocked to think of a more tactful way to pose the question.

"I…I missed you," Lauren offered simply. He seemed to have forgotten about her resolution to "snog him silly every day."

"So…you, little miss perfect prefect, decided to break scores of school rules and sneak up to your boyfriend's dormitory to do Merlin-knows-what to him in the middle of the night?" Sirius asked with mock indignation, dramatically clutching his hand to his chest.

"It looks that way…" Lauren smirked.

"Alright," Sirius said, shrugging his shoulders before offering his hands to her. He certainly wasn't complaining…

Lauren placed her hands in his and was pulled into his scarlet and gold covered bed.

Sirius swiftly closed the curtain again.

"Wait!" Lauren exclaimed.

"What?" Sirius asked, looking around for the source of her outburst.

"Let me see your wand," Lauren demanded quickly.

He blinked and swallowed visibly before attempting to speak, "My—my wand?" Then he coughed and said in a sultry voice, "I thought you'd never ask."

Lauren laughed softly and hit him on the chest with the back of her hand.

"Shut up, Sirius."

Sirius sighed as he reached onto the other side of his bed and picked up his wand from his nightstand. He handed it over reluctantly to Lauren. It was one of his most prized possessions after all…

He tried to listen (unsuccessfully) as Lauren muttered a spell, pointing his wand at the curtains.

"What did you just do?" he asked, slightly awed as she handed his wand back.

"Just a silencing charm," Lauren replied flippantly.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Just what _do_ you plan on doing to me?" he asked huskily.

"I have something in mind," Lauren answered seductively as she leaned forward.

Sirius closed his eyes as he leaned in to close the distance between them. He really liked the way things were going tonight. He could almost feel her lips on his when—WHAM! Something smacked him in the face.

Sirius' eyes popped open. Lauren was sitting there looking at him, a grin on her face and a pillow in her hand.

"What? Expecting something else?" Lauren asked innocently, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Walker. This. Is. War!" Sirius shouted, grabbing two pillows before jumping up. He waited, staring down at her with what he hoped was a menacing look.

Lauren was a little scared. Sirius was towering over her, wielding two pillows, while she only had one. She quickly jumped up, backing up to the foot of the bed. She held the one pillow she had for ammunition like a shield in front of her.

Then she moved quickly forward, hitting Sirius square in the stomach.

Sirius coughed after the pillow made contact. Then he grinned. Lauren had turned her back to him on her way back to her respective "corner." He swung one arm, hitting her in the bum with a pillow.

Lauren stumbled forward, grabbing onto the rail to steady herself. She turned around to face Sirius again. He was grinning madly. She really wanted to wipe that smile off his face. She dodged forward again, hitting Sirius in the chest this time.

Sirius shook his head, embarrassed at his performance. He just couldn't have a real pillow fight with her. If it had been James, he would have already had him begging for mercy…

He sighed as he took a step forward, his arms outstretched. When he reached Lauren he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him.

"I give up," he said grimly, swallowing his pride like a vomit flavored jelly bean.

"I thought you would," Lauren retorted, a smile playing at her lips.

"I suppose I ought to congratulate you," Sirius said as he leaned down.

"Mmm," was Lauren's only response.

They kissed slowly. Sirius sank down onto the bed, pulling Lauren into his lap. Her pillow was still between them. Sirius grabbed it roughly and threw it towards the end of the bed, pulling her more tightly to him.

After a while, Sirius laid back. "Merlin, where'd you learn to kiss like that?" he asked breathlessly. He felt like he'd just downed an entire bottle of Firewhiskey in one breath, which he'd actually done before on a bet. That's what he was, drunk off of her kisses.

Lauren still sat, looking at him. She smiled as she answered, "Well, I did learn from the master."

"I hope you don't think that's all I know," Sirius said in the same husky tone, raising his hand to brush it across her face lightly.

Lauren instinctively closed her eyes at his touch. She knew full well what he was implying. She had to stay strong. They were too young. Sex was such a distraction. And they were in a room where three other boys were currently sleeping…ew! 'Damn him for being so bloody irresistible,' she thought. He was so…wonderfully infuriating.

"Who said I was talking about you?" she finally asked with a smirk.

"You know, I really think I'm rubbing off on you," Sirius mused as he looked back up at her.

"You think?" Lauren asked sarcastically as she snuggled into him.

"I try not to," he answered.

"It shows."

"Watch it," Sirius warned, but he still wrapped one arm around her shoulders. Lauren placed her head and one hand on his chest. Then she closed her eyes.

After a few minutes of silence, Sirius suddenly spoke. His words were soft, but audible. "Lauren, do you want become an honorary Marauder?" he offered.

Lauren laughed. "Are you kidding?" she asked incredulously. Then she lifted up her head. His expression was grave. Apparently it was really important to him.

"You're not kidding, are you? Won't your friends mind?" she asked.

"No, and I already asked them. I trust you completely. That's enough for them," Sirius answered sincerely.

She laid her head back down on his chest. "Well, if you really want me to, I would be glad to become an…honorary Marauder." Lauren really didn't know exactly what that would entail…knowing Sirius and his friends it definitely involved some kind of mischief.

"So…do you want to become an Animagus?" Sirius asked after a while.

"Maybe…" Lauren said. Actually, ever since she'd found out that he was one, she had been wondering what form her Animagus might be.

"What do you think I would be?" she asked.

"Hmm," Sirius mused, feigning contemplation. Meanwhile, the gears in his head were turning. This was the perfect time to get a little revenge for his pillow-fight loss and her insult to his intelligence. "A bitch?" he said, his words dripping with glee.

Lauren raised herself up on her arm, looking him in the eye. "Excuse me? Is that what you think I am? Oooh, Sirius Black, you better mean female dog if you know what's good for you…" she said angrily.

Sirius laughed before drawing his face into a serious expression and said, "Of course that's what I meant." He still thought she looked cute when she was angry.

Lauren narrowed her eyes, deciding if she wanted to believe him. Eventually she lay back down and returned to her previous position.

A few minutes later, Sirius spoke again. "You're crazy, you know that?" he whispered.

Lauren's eyes popped open. Why did he keep saying things like that to her?

"First I'm a bitch, now I'm crazy," she said exasperatedly. Sure, Sirius really knew how to flatter the ladies.

"Yeah, you're crazy…to fall for me," Sirius said softly.

Lauren sighed. Of course he had to say something totally romantic like that. She sat up slowly.

As she looked him in the eyes, she whispered, "How could I resist?"

Sirius pulled himself to a sitting position next to her, a twinkle in his eye. "I said you were crazy, not stupid."

They both laughed. She pushed him backwards forcefully so he was lying on the bed again. He grabbed her waist, pulling her on top of him.

Lauren leaned down to kiss him. Her lips had only touched his for a second when he moved them.

The Hogwarts Kissing Master had decided to teach her something else. He let her kiss him briefly, but then shifted his head to the side. First he softly kissed her right cheek, then her left.

'Why won't he just kiss me properly?' Lauren thought, wanting to feel his lips on hers again.

Sirius planted another kiss on the tip of her nose. Then he smiled inwardly as he felt Lauren's lips devour his own. He wasn't done teasing her yet. He gave her a series of brief kisses, none lasting for more than a second.

Lauren moaned in frustration.

Sirius finally kissed her, softly and slowly. He could feel Lauren's tongue running quickly and repeatedly across the seam between his lips, but he didn't part them. He continued to kiss her unhurriedly. Then he opened his mouth slightly and started sucking lightly at Lauren's bottom lip. She sighed into his mouth.

Lauren's head was spinning. 'Oh, Merlin. So this is what he was talking about when he said he knew more,' she managed to think.

Once Sirius released her lip, they began kissing ardently. He figured he'd taught her enough for one night.

Completely out of breath, Lauren finally pulled her lips away from his and rested her head on Sirius' shoulder.

That night he whispered to her as he played absentmindedly with her hair. He told her everything he'd never said about his family. About how his mother was obsessed with purity, how she yelled at him for being friends with James and especially Remus. How he was never good enough for his parents. How they were always so proud of Regulus. How they never loved him, how he had so naively wished that they would…

He sighed, realizing that she'd probably fallen asleep before he even started talking. But he was proven wrong when he felt two tears fall onto his shoulder. He used his hand to lift her chin, so he could look into her eyes. His heart surged with emotion as he saw tears tracing their way down her cheeks silently. He could tell that she'd been trying her hardest to hold those tears in. She wanted to be strong for him. But all he wanted was for her to be there for him. That's all he'd ever wanted from her. He wiped the tears away with his thumb. She lowered her head back to his chest, murmuring "I love you, Sirius," before closing her eyes.

"I love you, too," Sirius said softly as he ran his hands soothingly over her arms. He soon drifted off to sleep.

Several hours later, at nine-thirty in the morning to be exact, Remus, James, and Peter were all awake, getting ready to go down to breakfast. They were all quite confused, since Sirius usually jumped on their beds in the mornings to wake them up for his favorite meal of the day. But this morning…Sirius was still asleep.

Remus looked over at James, who had a familiar glint in his eye. The one he always got when he was planning a prank. "Prongs, remember the last time you—" he ventured.

"Shh. You're going to ruin the surprise, Moony," James replied in a whisper, one finger held up to his lips as he walked over to Sirius' bed, wand in hand.

James, however, was the one who got the surprise when he wrenched back the hangings of Sirius' four poster bed. He blinked disbelievingly, several times. But no amount of blinking changed the sight before him.

"What is it Prongs? Is something wrong with Padfoot?" Remus asked concernedly. He walked over to where James was standing. His mouth dropped open. Peter came up behind them, emitting a small squeak as he peered between the taller boys.

Sirius stirred when he felt warm sunlight hit his face. He opened his eyes slowly, smiling as he remembered that Lauren was there. He gently moved a stray piece of hair out of her face. Then he turned his head to the side in hopes of finding a way to block out that pesky sun.

Instead, he saw James, Remus, and Peter staring at him, dumbfounded. He grinned, looking back down at Lauren and shrugged his shoulders before pulling the sheets up further, covering the sight of their entwined legs. Hers in particular, because she was wearing the Quidditch jersey he had given her over the holiday.

Lauren was awakened slightly by his movements. "Mmm, Sirius," she murmured as she snuggled closer to him, if that was even possible.

James proceeded to crack up at that moment. Peter started snickering. Remus looked at Sirius apologetically before chuckling a little himself. What she had said was just too funny to ignore.

The howls of laughter were enough for Lauren to truly wake up. She raised her head, took one glance at the near-hysterical boys, and buried her face in Sirius' chest. She was smiling, however. She didn't have anything to feel guilty about. The Marauders were no strangers to rule-breaking. Besides, she and Sirius hadn't done anything. She started laughing, too.

"Good morning, boys," she said, extricating herself from Sirius and sitting up, still laughing slightly.

"Boys?" James asked indignantly. "We are all men here, right Sirius?"

"Jamie-boy, I believe that was directed towards the three of you," Sirius replied, grinning wickedly. He sat up behind Lauren and winked at his friends over her shoulder. "Now, _boys_, if you don't mind…I believe my curtains were _closed_. See you later!"

James rolled his eyes and let go of the hanging, muttering under his breath. Lauren could barely hear him, but she could have sworn she had heard "and Bingo was his name-o."

She didn't understand what he meant, but apparently Sirius did. "Shut up, Bambi!" he replied good-naturedly, sliding his arm around Lauren's waist and pulling her closer. "You're just jealous!"

Remus and Peter could be heard cracking up on the other side of the room.


	25. Valentine's Day

This isn't really a chapter...it's more of a cookie. But it's something. Oh, and I have the next few chapters written, so they'll be up soon. I am soooooooooo sorry for taking so long to post. Life definitely got in the way (well...Organic Chemistry did...lol) this past semester. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed during my long hiatus. Without you guys, I probably wouldn't have been inspired to keep writing this. I'm gonna skip the review responses and just get to it...

**Chapter 25: Valentine's Day**

"Sirius, where are we going?" she asked as she hesitantly mounted the broom.

"You'll see when we get there," he replied cryptically.

"Okay." She shrugged and settled against him, resting her cheek on his back and twining her arms around his waist.

She closed her eyes, loving the contrasting sensations of the cold wind rushing through her hair and the warmth of Sirius' body in front of hers.

After what felt like much too little time, Sirius stopped the broom and hopped off, extending his arms to help her down. She couldn't see anything beyond him…not that she was complaining about that.

"Where are we?" she questioned his chest.

"I'll show you," he replied, taking her hand and leading her up the sloping ground. He stopped in front of a large cave on the side of the hill.

Her eyebrows knitted, she followed him, gasping when they were inside the cave.

"Everyone always goes to the tower," he explained, shrugging his shoulders.

"Sirius, this is better than the tower," she replied breathily, looking around.

The floor of the cave was lined with what seemed like hundreds of white candles, giving the room a warm, golden glow. Even more were suspended in the air, like the ceiling in the Hall.

In the center was a large, fluffy blanket with a white wicker basket sitting on it. Sirius led her over to the blanket and sat, pulling her down with him. She fell into his lap quite ungracefully and accidentally elbowed him in the stomach.

"Oof," he grunted, rubbing the spot where she hit him.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized softly, running her hand across his abdomen gently.

"It's my fault," he replied quickly, lifting his hand to her face. "I know what a klutz you are."

"Hey," she pouted, slightly hurt, removing her hand from his body and turning away from him slightly. He tilted her face back to his and kissed her fully on the lips.

"Did I mention that I think klutziness is very, very sexy?" he asked when he pulled away.

She smiled, her eyes still half-closed. "No, you didn't."

"Well, I do." He kissed her again, hungrily. He wound his arms around her tightly, drawing her body close to his as he lowered both of them to the ground.

She pulled away ten minutes later when she heard his stomach rumble loudly. "Maybe we should eat?" she suggested, raising herself up slightly.

"Okay…just lie back down while I set everything up," he replied, sitting up and making sure she obeyed his request before opening the basket. He set two plates in front of it and began to pull out assorted food items.

"What is that?" she asked softly. "It smells really good."

"Pizza," he replied, still setting out the food.

She frowned. "What's that?"

"James and I discovered it in Muggle London over the summer. You'll love it."

"Okay," she replied, a smile spreading over her face.

"It's ready," he finally said.

She sat up and turned around slowly, grinning as she took in the picnic he prepared.

"Wow," she said softly.

He handed her a plate with a slice of pizza on it. She accepted it and placed the plate in her lap. Then she gingerly picked it up, inhaling deeply before she took a bite.

"What do you think?" he asked, his mouth full of his own slice of pizza. Probably the _entire_ slice.

"Ew, Sirius," she replied before taking another bite.

"You don't like it?" he questioned after swallowing.

"No, I like it, I just don't like seeing it after you've chewed it up," she said, scrunching up her nose.

He shrugged his shoulders and grabbed another slice, devouring it just as quickly as the previous one.

After she finished her slice, she looked over at him. He was smiling at her, a strange look in his eyes.

"What?" she asked, setting down the plate beside her.

He crawled over to her slowly. "You have some sauce on your chin."

"Oh," she replied, reaching for a napkin.

"No, no, I've got it," he said, his face already just centimeters from hers.

She closed her eyes and felt them nearly roll back into her head as he _licked_ the sauce off of her chin. 'Oh, God, is that my brain?' she thought dizzily.

"You shouldn't waste something as good as pizza…" he murmured against her mouth before kissing her. His tongue almost immediately probed her lips, begging for entrance into her mouth. She sighed and obliged, drowning in the kiss. He tasted like pizza, her new favorite food.

"…or an excuse to snog you," he finished when he pulled away.

She fell forward a little when he moved but caught herself with her hand and nodded. Her eyes locked with his once more.

He tore his eyes away from hers and looked down at the food.

"So, next we have some ice cream," he said distantly, picking up a container and handing it to her, along with a spoon. She opened it carefully and her eyes lit up when she saw that it was cookies and cream.

"You remembered," she murmured, more to herself than to him. "Aren't you going to have any?" she asked.

"Nah, I don't really like it that much," he replied.

She raised her eyebrow before dipping her spoon into the container. When they were younger he'd always want cookies and cream, if only to prevent her from having it.

He watched as she raised the spoon to her lips, her eyes closing as soon as it was in her mouth.

"Mmm," she moaned softly. She'd forgotten how good it was.

"Er, maybe I do want some," he said, moving so he was beside her again.

She opened her eyes slowly. "I thought you said you didn't like it," she replied doubtfully, pulling the container protectively into her body.

"I changed my mind," he retorted.

"You can't just—"

He kissed her hard, his tongue darting into her open mouth instantly. When he pulled away from her, she stared at him, wide-eyed, before slowly raising another spoonful to her lips. This time, she leaned towards him, her eyelids fluttering closed. When their lips met, she opened her mouth hesitantly. Yeah, he'd definitely changed his mind about cookies and cream ice cream.

"You want your present now?" he asked when she pulled away.

She sat up slowly, and he regretted saying anything. Even with the warming charm and the heat from the candles, he still felt cold without her in his arms. She nodded and he sat up as well, reaching into the basket and pulling out a small rectangular box.

He handed it to her and she gazed up at him before opening it carefully. Her eyes lit up when she saw the contents and she glanced up at him again to see his wide grin.

She gently pulled out a delicate silver bracelet from the box, inspecting the tiny charms dangling off of it.

"Come here," she ordered softly, patting the blanket next to her.

He obeyed and sat beside her. She leaned into his shoulder, the top of her head resting against his jaw, and his arms snaked around her waist.

The charm on the end was a lightning bolt. "That night before we came to Hogwarts," he whispered into her ear. The next one was a fish. She smiled at the memory of him frantically trying to catch the fish and could feel his face form the same expression. Then came a boat. She turned her head and kissed him softly. A broom was next. After that, a star.

"I still wish we could've gone there," he murmured.

"I told you this was better," she reminded him.

Then a book, an ornament, a snowflake, a skate, a tiny stack of pancakes, a slice of pizza…

"How did you know I would like it?" she asked with a smile.

"How could you not like it?" he replied.

The final charm was a paw print.

Light glinted off the charm, and she leaned down to inspect it more closely. In impossibly small letters, it said, "I love you."

"Sirius," she breathed, turning to him. "This is the best present ever."

"So…you like it?"

She rolled her eyes and kissed him.

"Yes or no?" he asked, his eyes still half-closed.

She kissed him again.

"Because I could—"

"Shut up."


	26. Evasions

**Chapter 26: Evasions**

On Monday, Lauren was eating lunch in the Great Hall with her Ravenclaw dorm-mates. She and Karen were listening to Robin, a tall girl with light brown hair, ramble on about the newest issue of "Teenage Witch's Weekly".

Suddenly, Robin stopped talking mid-sentence. Her jaw dropped open just slightly. Lauren turned around, wondering what Robin was looking at. Sirius was standing right behind her, a smile on his face. "Do you mind if I sit with you today?" he asked.

"Of course we don't," Robin said eagerly. Karen gave Robin a swat on the arm and said to Sirius, "Please ignore her." Sirius gave another smile, causing Robin to sigh. He looked around nervously as he sank onto the bench next to Lauren. "Hey," he said softly.

This was more than a little strange. For the past seven years, Sirius had never sat anywhere else but at the Gryffindor table with the rest of the Marauders. Now he was definitely considering that he might have made a mistake by coming over there.

But he changed his mind when Lauren said, "Hey," back and grabbed his hand, squeezing it for reassurance. He squeezed back and grinned at her before he rested the back of his hand, which was now entwined with hers, on her leg.

"So what are you guys talking about?" he asked the table.

Karen said sarcastically, "Oh, Robin here was just talking about all the cute boys in her favorite magazine, weren't you Robin?"

He glanced over at the girl Karen was gesturing towards. And immediately felt like looking away, as the girl was staring at him unflinchingly. He knew that girls found him attractive, but he found the whole staring thing a little disconcerting and usually tried to ignore it. Everyone knew that he and Lauren were together now, so it'd been a while since he'd received one of those looks. And besides, wasn't this girl one of Lauren's friends? Not wanting to be charming at all, he smiled at the girl uncomfortably before breaking the eye contact.

The tension at the table, especially between Karen and Robin, was quite apparent, so Sirius turned to Lauren and asked, "Can I walk you to class?"

Lauren smiled at him and nodded her head. Then she leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Can we go now? I have a serious matter to attend to before class."

Sirius turned his head to look her in the eyes. What he saw there made him stand up immediately, pulling Lauren up with him.

"Well, see you guys later," she said cheerfully.

"You're leaving now? There's still fifteen minutes before classes start!" Robin said, whining slightly.

"We know," Lauren and Sirius said in unison as they hurried towards the huge doors of the Great Hall and out into the hallway. Sirius was walking quickly, dragging Lauren along with him. After turning a few corners, he stopped abruptly. Lauren almost ran into him, but he grabbed her around the waist.

He pulled her close to him and leaned down to kiss her neck. Lauren felt herself go weak in the knees, and she clung onto Sirius to keep herself upright. Meanwhile, he took a few steps forward, pushing Lauren's back up against the wall. He took her wrists in his hand and held them against the cool stone wall above her head. With the other, he tilted her face up towards his.

They kissed furiously in the hallway for the next several minutes. Then the bell sounded, echoing through the otherwise deserted room they were occupying. Sirius gave her a quick kiss before grabbing her hand. They ran to get to Muggle Studies on time.

Later that evening, Sirius was on his way to the Shrieking Shack. James and Peter had already left, since he was a little behind on his Transfiguration assignment. He had just finished, and was hurrying to be able to make it before Remus' painful transformation. He skidded to a halt around the corner in front of the main doors, seeing Lauren there with her fellow Ravenclaw prefect. He paused, not sure what he should do. He didn't have the invisibility cloak, so he couldn't just sneak past unnoticed. And he couldn't just waltz out there. Lauren might be his girlfriend, but she wasn't going to just let him off the hook in front of…whatever the bloke's name was, who happened to be standing much closer to Lauren than he liked.

His jealousy got the better of him and he strode around the corner, whistling softly. Lauren and…Lovegood, he remembered finally, both turned to look at him. Lauren's face lit up as she realized it was him, but then her eyes narrowed and she mouthed angrily at him, "What are you doing?"

He shrugged and approached them.

"Black…you do realize that it's after hours?" Lovegood asked diplomatically.

"Oh, really? I hadn't realized it was so late. See, I was in the library…" he trailed off mid-lie when he saw Lauren's disappointed expression.

"Well, mate, I suppose I can't blame you. NEWTS year is pretty rough, isn't it? If you just head back to the Gryffindor dorms, we'll just forget we ever saw you, right Lauren?" John asked as he turned to his partner.

"Right," Lauren agreed, not looking at Sirius.

John noticed the way that Sirius was looking at her and he quirked an eyebrow as he suggested, "Lauren, why don't you accompany him?"

"Um…okay," Lauren said, and Sirius stepped closer to her.

They walked around the corner, and Lauren paused to whack Sirius in the arm. "What is the matter with you?" she asked furiously. "Just because I'm doing rounds doesn't give you free reign of the school!"

He held up his hands apologetically. "Lauren, I know. I wasn't…I didn't like how close he was standing to you!"

Lauren rolled her eyes and let out a huff of frustration. "So now you're so jealous you're spying on me?"

"No…I just happened to notice when I was—" Sirius broke off as he glanced at his watch and realized he didn't need to get into this. He didn't have enough time.

"When you were…?"

"Nothing, Laur," he said, putting an arm around her shoulders and walking in the direction of the Ravenclaw dormitories.

Lauren noticed this immediately and shrugged his arm off. "Where do you think we're going?" she asked, stopping in the middle of the hall.

"I'm walking you to your dormitory," Sirius replied, checking his watch again. 'Damn, I'm going to be late…'

"Sirius, I'm supposed to be walking you to your dormitory," she said, aggravated by his behavior. "You were the one out after hours."

"But, Lauren," he said, glancing at his watch again, "Your shift is over now, and I thought that I should be a gentleman and escort you."

"Actually, Sirius, my shift _isn't_ over. I have to be there when we report to the prefects who have the shift after us."

Sirius sighed.

"Besides, I have to go to the greenhouse to get my ingredients."

"What?" She was planning on going outside? By herself?

"My NEWT Potions project, Sirius. Some of the ingredients have to be picked during the full moon."

"Uh…you can't wait until next month?"

"Sirius, what is wrong with you?" Lauren asked, annoyed. "I have to pick them tonight or my potion won't be ready in time for…when it's due."

"But it's dangerous outside at night," Sirius countered, blocking her way. He would not let her go outside when Remus was a werewolf. She could get hurt, bitten, or even killed.

"Sirius!" she exclaimed, stepping around him. "I can take care of myself. Besides, you are supposed to be in bed, dreaming about Quidditch or something."

"Did you get permission to go outside?" he asked desperately, walking next to her again.

"Since when do you care about following the rules?" she asked pointedly. That was probably the most hypocritical question he'd ever asked. This from the boy who was an illegal Animagus.

"Did you?" Maybe he'd found an exc—nevermind.

"Yes, Sirius! It's very important."

He frowned and tried to think of another way to stop her.

"Lauren, it can't wait until tomorrow morning?" he pleaded.

"Um, Sirius, I think you're missing the point of picking the plants _during_ the full moon."

Realizing that he wouldn't be able to convince her otherwise, he said simply. "You can't go outside."

"Care to tell me why?" Lauren asked. She was beginning to grow impatient with him. She glanced at her watch and frowned. She had already missed the shift change.

"Er…no," he said, "It's…official Marauder business."

"Oh," Lauren said, the sarcasm hiding her hurt, "You mean the Marauders that I'm supposed to be an honorary member of?"

"Well, yes…but…" Sirius faltered. He hadn't wanted her to find out like this.

"I see," Lauren said, more than slightly hurt. "So you were just trying to…what? Make me feel like you trusted me?"

"Lauren, I do trust you, it's just…I can't…" Sirius murmured, cupping her cheek in his hand.

She pulled away, tears filling her eyes. "Sirius, go back to your dorm."

He sighed and nodded, dropping his hand down by his side. "You're still going to the greenhouse?"

"Yes!" Lauren replied exasperatedly.

They had been arguing so long that Sirius didn't realize that they were already at the doors.

"Lauren, please don't," he said again, putting himself between her and the door.

"Sirius, why are you being like this?" she said, pushing her way past him.

"I'm coming with you," Sirius announced, following her.

He took her hand and pulled her the whole way, looking around cautiously.

"Sirius, you're going too fast!" she complained. Her legs were not nearly as long as his, and he was practically running across the grounds. His grip on her hand was really tight, too. He seemed nervous for some reason.

"Shh!" he replied, dragging her along.

Sirius waited impatiently while she carefully selected the herbs she needed, making sure they were the perfect age for her potion. She wanted absolutely the best ingredients she could get to make the most effective solution. If she could nail her Veritaserum antidote…

"Are you almost done?" Sirius asked her, pacing back and forth.

"Almost," she called back. He was really making her nervous, pacing like that. And his impatience was making her feel rushed. He didn't have to come out here with her anyway.

She was kind of disappointed, too. She'd always thought this place was kind of romantic, especially when the flowers were in bloom, like they were now. And the moonlight was streaming in…she turned and looked at Sirius for a second, almost sighing at how beautiful he looked bathed in the silvery light…she shook her head. He was being an annoying git. There would be no romance for her tonight. She turned back to her list and moved over to her last ingredient, fluxweed. She cut it precisely, and gathered it into a small bundle, wrapping it in a piece of parchment.

"Okay," she said, standing up and removing her gloves. "I'm ready."

"Good," he replied. "Let's go."

She quickly put all of the herbs in the inside pocket of her robes and followed Sirius out the door, stepping into the clear night air again.

Sirius took her hand, not seeming as anxious now for some reason. He smiled at her and she smiled back, moving closer to him.

He stepped back though, and began to walk back to the school.

Lauren looked up at the sky. Her view of the constellations was diminished by the brilliantly white full moon shining down on the Hogwarts grounds, but the sky was beautiful nonetheless. She sighed, wishing even more that Sirius wasn't being such a—

Her thoughts were interrupted by a very loud, very long howl. It didn't sound like it was very far away.

Sirius grabbed her hand and looked around. They were pretty far from the greenhouse, but the boat shed by the lake was only a couple hundred meters away. He immediately ran towards it. Lauren stumbled behind him but kept going, sensing his urgency.

When they reached the shed, Sirius raised his wand, frantically whispering "Alohomora" as he pointed it at the door. He opened the door and quickly pulled Lauren inside, noting her trembling body.

"What was that?" Lauren asked breathlessly, her eyes wide with fear, as he put a locking spell on the door.

Sirius took her hand and led her to the middle of the shed, and starting pacing. She stood beside him, watching him intently. She really wanted him to hold her, she was so afraid of what she had heard outside, but she knew that he had an explanation for what was going on.

"I'm going to tell you something really important. I don't really know how to say this, so I guess I'll start at the beginning. When James and I met our first year here, we became friends immediately. But Remus was pretty reserved and kept to himself a lot. By the second year, we couldn't help but wonder about his strange behavior, and about how he seemed to get sick around the same time every month. On top of that, one night each month, he just disappeared. After a little bit of research and some guessing, we figured out that he's a werewolf," Sirius said quickly.

Thoughts about werewolves and memories she had concerning Remus suddenly started swirling in Lauren's mind, but she pushed them aside and nodded for him to go on.

Sirius continued, saying, "When we found out, we wanted to do something to help him. That's why we decided to become Animagi. We worked on the spell for three years before we could transform. Starting our fifth year, every full moon, James as a stag, Peter in the form of a rat, and I would sneak out to be with Remus. Our company makes him safer and happier. We mainly run around, exploring the Hogwarts grounds and sometimes Hogsmeade."

Sirius paused again, looking at Lauren. He expected her to be shocked. It was a lot of information to take in at once. However, Lauren was gazing back at him with tears in her eyes.

Lauren couldn't even begin to imagine the pain that she knew Remus had to go through every month. Suddenly all the times she had noticed him looking quite exhausted made sense. She closed the distance between herself and Sirius, twining her arms around his neck.

Sirius stood there for a second before he placed his hands on her waist, pulling her closer to him. Lauren whispered into his ear, "You are an amazing friend."

They stood there like that for a while, until they heard another howling sound coming from nearby. Sirius immediately let go of her and said sharply, "Stay here." Lauren nodded, slightly scared by the look of fear she had seen flit across his face. She watched as Sirius stood and cautiously stepped out of the shed, locking the door behind him. Lauren moved so she could see out the window.

She gasped when she saw a large creature careening towards the shed at a maddening pace. Sirius disappeared, and suddenly a huge black dog was blocking the entrance to the shed. Sirius was barking at the werewolf, but it just kept running. The dog and the wolf collided in midair.

Lauren knew that...Remus...could smell her. She watched in horror as they fought viciously, scratching and biting in front of her eyes. She realized she had been holding her breath when she exhaled loudly after catching sight of a large stag galloping towards the shed.

Together, James and Sirius drew Remus away from the shed. Lauren sank down to the floor, feeling horrible. 'Why did Sirius let me come out here?' she thought furiously. 'One of them might be hurt!'

A couple seconds later, Lauren heard a noise coming from outside. She lifted her head up, and watched as Sirius silently entered. Lauren jumped up and rushed over to him. There was a large gash on his left arm right below his sleeve. It was too long and too deep to be remedied completely by a healing charm. She felt more tears gather in her eyes as she looked up into Sirius' face. He looked exhausted, but relieved.

"You're so stupid," she said tearfully as she buried her face in his chest, her arms hanging limply at her side. His arms wrapped protectively around her back.

Soon they were both sitting on the floor, holding each other tightly. Lauren drifted off to sleep in his arms. Sirius, however, stayed up all night, stroking her hair and making sure that James was still keeping Remus away from the shed.

At five-thirty in the morning, he looked out the window. The first signs of daylight were creeping across the sky. He looked down at Lauren, who was sleeping peacefully in his arms.

He watched her for a moment before leaning down to kiss her gently on the lips. Her eyelids fluttered open. "Good morning," he said softly. "Do you hate me?" he asked. Lauren cocked her head to the side, pretending to ponder the question. Instead of answering him verbally, she pulled his head down for a kiss.

When they broke apart, Sirius said with a grin, "I'll take that as a no." Lauren rolled her eyes, but allowed Sirius to pull her up to a standing position.

Then she followed him as he started walking in the opposite direction of the school, towards the Whomping Willow. Safely out of its range, James, Remus, and Peter were laying down on the grass. Remus and James stirred when they heard approaching footsteps. They both stood up quickly, not bothering to wake Peter, who was snoring loudly.

Remus was looking down at the ground. Lauren let go of Sirius' hand and moved so she was standing in front of Remus. He lifted his head slowly, and Lauren saw the pain and remorse in his eyes, as well as a deep scratch on his right cheek. Not knowing what else to do, she put her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Tears were falling from her eyes. She felt so sorry for him, but she knew that he wouldn't want her pity. She just wasn't strong enough to hold them in. She hurriedly wiped her face with one hand.

Sirius watched with interest as Remus' eyes opened wide in shock once Lauren's arms were around him. After a couple seconds, though, he gingerly placed his arms around Lauren, patting her shoulders before hugging her in return. Sirius was surprised when he didn't feel a shred of jealousy. In fact, he felt happy as he watched his girlfriend comfort one of his best friends in the world.

After what seemed like forever, Lauren let go of Remus. When she stepped back, she took both of his hands in hers, holding them loosely between them. She didn't say a word, but she knew Remus understood her. They smiled at each other before releasing hands and walking over to Sirius.

Sirius grinned as he put one arm around Remus. When he lifted up his other arm to place it around Lauren's shoulders, he winced. Lauren heard him inhale sharply, reminding her of his injury. "Sirius, you and Remus should go to the hospital wing," she said in a concerned tone.

"Remus has to be back in the Shrieking Shack when Pomfrey gets there," Sirius explained. "But if I go there, she will ask about how I got it," he said, his face determined. "It doesn't hurt that much, anyway…" he trailed off.

Lauren knew better than that. "Okay, James, you'll help Remus to the shack with Peter? I will…figure out what to do with Sirius," she said, surprised at how motherly she sounded.

"Oh, I'm sure you can think of something," James said wickedly, winking over her head at Sirius.

Lauren sighed loudly. Boys sure had one track minds…

James woke Peter, and the five of them walked in solemn silence along the dewy grounds. Then they split and headed in their assigned directions.


	27. Liaisons

Chapter 27: Liaisons

Sirius followed Lauren through the halls, answering all her questions. He told her about becoming Animagi, the Whomping Willow, and the Shrieking Shack.

Lauren stopped abruptly in front of a door near a statue of a rather befuddled looking man. He listened as she whispered the password, which he thought was "squeaky clean."

She pushed open the door, grabbing Sirius' hand to pull him in along with her. Sirius looked around, the bewilderment on his face rivaling that of the sculpture outside. He looked around at the gigantic room. There was a candle-lit chandelier hanging from the ceiling, emitting a golden light that bounced off of the almost blindingly white marble floor and walls. In the middle of the room was a large, empty basin the size of a small swimming pool.

"What is this place?" he asked, his mouth hanging slightly open in awe.

"_This_ is the prefects' bathroom," Lauren said, grinning at his reaction. She had been amazed the first time she was there, too.

"Wow. If I had known you guys had these kinds of perks, I would have behaved better," he said, titling his head to the side.

"For some reason, I doubt that," Lauren replied.

He laughed. She was totally right. No bathtub could take the place of all the pranks he had pulled over the years…well, except the one (which Lauren didn't know about and he hoped she never would).

She walked over to a cabinet on the wall. There was a first-aid kit in there, for minor complaints. Prefects had better things to do than to go to the hospital wing to heal a parchment-cut.

She turned back around, carrying the case in her hands. Sirius was sitting on the edge of the bath, surveying the taps surrounding it. He was definitely considering testing them out sometime. He was now aware of the room's existence and knew the password…Speaking of which, he was going to hurt James and Remus later for never telling him about this place. And they called themselves his best friends!

Lauren grabbed a fluffy white towel from the huge stack in the corner of the room. Then she sat down next to Sirius and propped the kit on her knees as she opened it.

"Will you turn on the tap with the diamond in it for me?" she asked, looking down at the cut on his arm.

He turned to the other side, using his right hand to turn the diamond encrusted handle. Clear, warm water came rushing out.

Lauren tapped his shoulder and he turned around to face her. She was holding the white towel out towards him, praying that he wouldn't make some inappropriate comment. "We need to wash your cut first," she said, not making eye contact with him.

Sirius fought the urge to ask what she wanted to wash later, then took the towel and held one corner of it under the water. Then he turned back to Lauren, handing the towel to her. He knew he was perfectly capable of doing this himself…but he really liked it when she got all…caring and stuff.

She took it and hesitated, holding it up in the air between the two of them. Then she gingerly pressed it to his arm. He grimaced. The magnificence of the bathroom had taken his mind off the pain for a while, but it was back full force.

When she removed the towel, Lauren leaned in to inspect the wound. It didn't look that bad, considering the circumstances. She rifled through the contents until she found what she was looking for, a tube of Calypso's Cut Healer.

Sirius watched Lauren warily as she unscrewed the cap and squeezed a bit of the cream onto her fingertip. Whatever that was, he was pretty sure it was going to hurt.

Lauren raised her eyes to his, looking at him with an apologetic expression. "I'm afraid this is going to sting…er, a little. But it will only last for a second, I promise," she said soothingly.

Sirius felt himself tense at her words, preparing as she lifted her hand to his arm. He felt the cream "working" the instant her finger touched his arm. 'Fuck!' It was horrible. It felt like it was going to burn his arm off. He closed his eyes tightly, his jaw clenched. Then she started spreading it over the cut. He grasped the edge of the bath with such force that his knuckles turned white.

Lauren was filled with pity as she watched his reaction. She tried really hard to smear it as quickly as possible. When she was done, she placed her hand lightly on his, then leaned over and kissed his cheek.

Sirius had opened his eyes when Lauren touched his hand. He was amazed. The pain was gone. He looked at her and smiled. He watched as her expression changed from concerned to happy.

"See?" she asked, raising her eyebrows hopefully.

He nodded, leaning forward to kiss her properly.

"Now all I have to do is just—"

"There's more?" Sirius blurted exasperatedly. If that was only the first step, he dreaded what was coming next.

Lauren smiled at him. "Well, if you'd just let me finish, I just have to wrap some gauze around it. It doesn't hurt," she said reassuringly.

"Okay," Sirius replied resignedly. He had no reason to doubt her. She _had_ told him the truth about how that bloody cream would sting.

Lauren took a roll of gauze from the case and unrolled it. Then she placed it over his cut and started wrapping it around his arm. She tried not to think about how strong and muscular it was…and how much she wanted it wrapped around her…

Sirius watched as Lauren carefully dressed his wound. He was so lucky to have her there. There was no way that James, Remus, or Peter could have done this. Not that he would have wanted any of them to.

"Okay, all done," Lauren said brightly as she tied the end of the gauze, securing it tightly. Then she grabbed her wand and said, "Caveat Aqua," a simple waterproofing charm.

She closed the first-aid kit and walked back to the cabinet, putting it back in its usual spot.

Sirius was still sitting there, watching her.

"I think I want to take a bath before breakfast," Lauren said slowly once she turned to face him.

"So…what are you saying?" Sirius asked, amused.

Lauren rolled her eyes, and finished, "Alone, Sirius."

Sirius looked at her with his pleading puppy-dog eyes. "You really expect me to leave? I don't know my way back to my dorm," he pouted.

Lauren sighed loudly. She knew that there was nothing she could do. Sirius always got his way, especially with her.

"Fine. But…keep your…boxers on. And behave yourself," she said sharply, trying not to blush.

"Fair enough," Sirius replied, grinning widely. Lauren walked over to the diamond-encrusted tap again and started filling the pool with water.

Meanwhile Sirius had undressed. He walked up behind her, clad only in his red and gold Gryffindor boxers. Then he leaned down and kissed the back of her neck gently.

Lauren straightened immediately, then whirled around to face him. She was staring right at his bare chest. She hadn't even realized that he'd had the time to remove his shirt. She shifted her gaze downward slowly. Apparently that wasn't all he'd taken off. She'd only seen him once like this before. On Christmas Eve. But that night the room had been dark. She could see much more clearly now…Geez, he was built like an effing Greek god…not that she hadn't noticed before, but the bright lighting lent itself to a more objective observation…His broad shoulders tapered to narrow hips, and she could see his hip bones protruding slightly at the top of his boxers, and his stomach…

Sirius laughed and placed his hand under her chin, tilting her face up so she was looking him in the eyes. She quickly glanced to the side and blushed, embarrassed that she'd been caught staring at him.

"So, do you usually bathe fully dressed?" he asked in an amused tone.

"Well…no…" she said slowly, backing up to take off her robe. She hadn't really thought about her own attire before…

Sirius stretched out his arm behind her, preventing her from moving too far away…and from falling backwards into the still shallow water. "Allow me," he whispered.

Lauren nodded hesitantly. In an instant Sirius' hands were on her shoulders, sliding her robes off her arms and onto the cool marble floor. Then he put his hands around her neck, loosening her Ravenclaw tie and whipping it off. He slowly unbuttoned her white shirt, pressing light kisses to her skin as it was revealed. She fought the urge to whimper. Finally, he pulled the shirt off of her, letting it drop to the floor. He pushed her down gently so she was sitting on the edge of the gigantic bath. He let his hands run down her legs until he reached her feet, tenderly pulling off her shoes and socks, never taking his eyes off hers the whole time. Then he stood her back up. Brows knitted, he surveyed her skirt. He wasn't sure how…then he saw a tiny zipper-pull on the side. He grasped it gently and pulled it down. Her skirt practically fell off of her hips by itself, but he caressed the sides of her body anyway.

Suddenly Lauren flushed as she realized that she was standing in front of Sirius, wearing only her navy undergarments. She awkwardly crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Sirius looked at her in amazement. She was even more breathtaking in the light. He could tell she was uncomfortable, though. He didn't want her to be. He grasped her wrists, pulling her into him.

He leaned down to whisper into her ear, "I said it before, and I'll say it again. You are so beautiful."

Lauren smiled and turned her face to his. She kissed him softly on the cheek. He could be so sweet sometimes.

He bent down and deftly picked her up, carrying her in his arms as he stepped into the pool. Then he lowered them into the water. He could really get used to this…

Lauren squirmed and he set her down gently. She waded over to the tap and turned it off.

He moved to the side of the bath, inspecting the different faucets. He went over to the furthest one from him and turned it on. It emitted a thick white foam. He let it run for a while, and then turned it off. He repeated this until he had moved all the way around the pool. He couldn't decide which one he liked best.

Lauren smiled as she watched Sirius experiment with the taps. He was so curious, like a certain little boy she used to know. It was really cute.

Sirius turned back around to face the middle of the pool, where Lauren was standing, a pleasant look on her face. He smiled slyly as he waded towards her.

Lauren eyed him warily, expecting a kiss. But he just went right past her. Then she realized what he was doing. He was heading right for the diving board. 'Uh oh,' she thought, looking around for a way to shield herself from the unavoidable shower she was about to receive.

Sirius grinned as he pulled himself out of the water. He stepped up to the edge of the board, then cannon-balled right into the center of the pool, only a few feet from Lauren.

Lauren sputtered as a huge wave of water splashed over her. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. He had been so romantic a few minutes ago, and now he was acting like a ten-year-old.

Sirius floated back to the surface of the water. He stood and moved so he was standing in front of Lauren.

"I thought I told you to behave yourself," she said firmly as a grinning Sirius reached his hand up to push the sopping wet strands of hair out of her face. 'A very sexy when wet ten-year-old,' she was quickly reminded with one sweeping glance.

"Oh. I thought you meant that I shouldn't do this…" he trailed off as he wrapped his arms around her and pushed her backwards until her back was resting on the sloping side of the pool. Sirius lowered himself on top of her, the tip of his tongue tracing her jaw line gently. He'd never done that before…Then he kissed her hungrily. After a while, Lauren started moving her hands over his slick back. Sirius had already been exploring her body with his hands for some time.

Suddenly a giggle pierced the air. Sirius' head whipped up. Then he noticed something for the first time. There was a single painting on the wall. The mermaid inside of it was giggling loudly, splashing her fin around. Lauren placed her hands on Sirius' chest. He stood up, clutching her shoulders so she was also standing.

"If she's awake, then everybody else should be awake, too," Lauren said quickly, a hint of panic in her voice.

Sirius nodded and jumped out of the bath. Lauren climbed out after him. He grabbed two towels, wrapping one around his waist. He enveloped Lauren in the other one, slowly running his hands up and down her arms to dry her. Their eyes locked for a moment, but another giggle broke the spell.

Lauren coughed nervously and backed away from Sirius, drying herself quickly and putting her robes on. Then she turned to Sirius, who had pulled his clothes on hastily. She fought back a laugh as she noticed that he had put his t-shirt on backwards.

"Go," Lauren said. She would be in so much trouble if anyone saw him.

He obliged, turning around and hurrying out the door. She jerked her shoes onto her feet. She looked around, and then pushed the button that removed the water from the bath. Then she placed their towels in the laundry pile and walked out, holding her robes shut tightly with one hand and gripping her clothes with the other.

She turned the corner, and promptly ran into someone. She looked down at the floor, preparing some kind of excuse. Nothing came to mind. She wasn't really a quick thinker when it came to things like this. She just hoped that whoever it was hadn't seen Sirius leaving the prefect's bathroom.

She looked up, and released the breath she had been holding in relief. It was Sirius.

"Why didn't you go back to your room?" she asked. He could still get in trouble for walking around the corridors this early in the morning, especially with his shirt suspiciously on backwards.

"I wanted to walk you to yours," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Lauren frowned. "I thought you said you didn't know how to get back to the dorms," she reminded him.

Sirius gave her a sheepish grin. She sighed. She hadn't believed him when he said that anyway. He then put his arm around her waist, pressing her into his side.

They walked to the Ravenclaw dormitories in silence.

When they reached the entrance, he asked her, "Will you eat breakfast with us today?"

"Sure," Lauren said. It was strange. If someone had told her a year ago that she would be in love with Sirius Black and friends with the infamous Marauders, she would have laughed in their face and recommended they go to St. Mungo's and quick. But now, that was exactly what was happening.

Sirius couldn't help but smile as he walked back to Gryffindor tower. He didn't even notice all the weird looks he was getting from the occupants of the paintings he passed. He was quite a sight, really, with his wet hair and shirt gone awry.

When Sirius reached the common room, he noticed the Marauders at their usual table, playing exploding snap. Well, they were pretending to play exploding snap. Sirius had definitely seen Remus attempt to keep him from seeing what they had actually been doing. But even from the doorway, he could tell what they had been perusing.

Sirius sat down nonchalantly. He looked at Remus' face. The cut was healed and barely noticeable. Remus gave Sirius a wan smile as he asked, "Are you fixed up now?"

Sirius forced a smile as he replied, "Wow, I can't believe you guys really think I'm that thick." Then he quickly reached under the couch Remus was sitting on, pulling out the Marauder's Map, which his friends hadn't even bothered to clear. He looked at his friends with disdain. Didn't they have their own lives?

The three of them burst out laughing when they saw Sirius' expression. So much for pretending that they hadn't been looking in…okay, spying.

James was practically rolling on the floor. "I see that Lauren figured out what to do with you," he managed between fits of laughter. "You might want to make sure you put your shirt on the right way next time!"

Sirius looked down at his shirt and shrugged. He could pull it off. He was Sirius Black, after all.

Remus had kept himself slightly more composed than James. When he noticed that Sirius was none too happy about what they had done, he looked down at James and said, "Oh, get off the floor, you git. We all know about your little rendezvous with Evans in the broom closet Wednesday night."

James stopped laughing immediately. "Oh, that was a Head Students' meeting, that was."

It was Sirius' turn to laugh.

"I'm sure it was," Remus commented wryly.

"So tell me Jamie, did you and Lily go for a ride?" Sirius asked gleefully. Remus chanced a glance at James. He was seething—no, make that foaming at the mouth.

Once he had himself over control, James said calmly, "Even though it's none of your business…we decided to wait."

"Oh? Evans has really got you whipped!" Sirius barked.

Remus noticed that the two taunting boys had caught the attention of more than just Peter. Breakfast was about to start, and during the course of the conversation many Gryffindors had groggily meandered their ways downstairs. Much more awake now, some students were pretending not to be listening, while others were just blatantly staring at the pair. It was time to end this.

"Oh come on, Padfoot. Like Lauren doesn't have you on a leash?" Remus noted quietly, staring pointedly at Sirius.

"Ah, well. That…is not necessarily a bad thing," Sirius said, a twinkle in his eye. The other Marauders eyed him curiously.

Sirius laughed at his friends' expressions. Then he shook his head furiously, sending drops of water flying all over them.

"Sirius!" the three boys cried in unison


End file.
